A long-acting C-natriuretic peptide for achondroplasia

The C-natriuretic peptide (CNP) analog vosoritide has recently been approved for treatment of achondroplasia in children. However, the regimen requires daily subcutaneous injections in pediatric patients over multiple years. The present work sought to develop a long-acting CNP that would provide efficacy equal to or greater than that of vosoritide but require less frequent injections. We used a technology for half-life extension, whereby a drug is attached to tetra-polyethylene glycol hydrogels (tetra-PEG) by β-eliminative linkers that cleave at predetermined rates. These hydrogels—fabricated as uniform ∼60-μm microspheres—are injected subcutaneously, where they serve as a stationary depot to slowly release the drug into the systemic circulation. We prepared a highly active, stable CNP analog—[Gln(6,14)]CNP-38—composed of the 38 C-terminal amino acids of human CNP-53 containing Asn to Gln substitutions to preclude degradative deamidation. Two microsphere [Gln(6,14)]CNP-38 conjugates were prepared, with release rates designed to allow once-weekly and once-monthly administration. After subcutaneous injection of the conjugates in mice, [Gln(6,14)]CNP-38 was slowly released into the systemic circulation and showed biphasic elimination pharmacokinetics with terminal half-lives of ∼200 and ∼600 h. Both preparations increased growth of mice comparable to or exceeding that produced by daily vosoritide. Simulations of the pharmacokinetics in humans indicated that plasma [Gln(6,14)]CNP-38 levels should be maintained within a therapeutic window over weekly, biweekly, and likely, monthly dosing intervals. Compared with vosoritide, which requires ∼30 injections per month, microsphere [Gln(6,14)]CNP-38 conjugates—especially the biweekly and monthly dosing—could provide an alternative that would be well accepted by physicians, patients, and patient caregivers.