Patent AT-E401098-T1: [Translated] LONG-ACTING INTERFERON AND INTERLEUKIN DERIVATIVES AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING SAME

Cytokine derivatives are provided bearing functional groups sensitive to mild basic conditions such as fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) and 2-sulfo-9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (FMS) and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them. Preferred derivates are those in which amino groups of the cytokine are substituted with FMS, for example FMS7-IFN- alpha 2 and FMS3-IL-2. These cytokine derivatives can be administered as inactive or slightly active prodrugs and are capable of undergoing spontaneous regeneration into the parent bioactive drugs under <i>in vivo physiological conditions and in a hom egenous fashion. The cytokine prodrugs present higher metabolic stability and augmented bioavailability.