Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
  • A61K38/16—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • A61K38/17—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
  • A61K38/36—Blood coagulation or fibrinolysis factors
  • A61K38/366—Thrombomodulin
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
  • A61K38/16—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • A61K38/43—Enzymes; Proenzymes; Derivatives thereof
  • A61K38/46—Hydrolases (3)
  • A61K38/48—Hydrolases (3) acting on peptide bonds (3.4)
  • A61K38/482—Serine endopeptidases (3.4.21)
  • A61K38/4846—Factor VII (3.4.21.21); Factor IX (3.4.21.22); Factor Xa (3.4.21.6); Factor XI (3.4.21.27); Factor XII (3.4.21.38)
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P7/00—Drugs for disorders of the blood or the extracellular fluid
  • A61P7/04—Antihaemorrhagics; Procoagulants; Haemostatic agents; Antifibrinolytic agents

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide.
• the invention also relates to the use of a combination of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide for the manufacture of a medicament for treatment of subjects suffering from bleeding episodes, or prevention hereof.
• the invention also relates to a method for treatment of bleeding episodes in subjects and to a method for enhancing clot formation in a subject.
• the present invention also relates to kits comprising these compounds.
• Haemostasis is initiated by the formation of a complex between tissue factor (TF) being exposed to the circulating blood following an injury to the vessel wall, and FVIIa which is present in the circulation in an amount corresponding to about 1 % of the total FVII protein mass.
• This complex is anchored to the TF-bearing cell and activates FX into FXa and FIX into FIXa on the cell surface.
• FXa activates prothrombin to thrombin, which activates FVIII, FV, FXI and FXIII. Further- more, the limited amount of thrombin formed in this initial step of haemostasis also activates the platelets.
• thrombin Following the action of thrombin on the platelets these change shape and expose charged phospholipids on their surface.
• This activated platelet surface forms the template for the further FX activation and the full thrombin generation.
• the further FX activation on the activated platelet surface occurs via a FIXa-FVIIIa complex formed on the surface of the activated platelet, and FXa then converts prothrombin into thrombin while still on the surface.
• Thrombin then converts fibrinogen into fibrin which is insoluble and which stabilizes the initial platelet plug. This process is compartmentalized, i.e., localised to the site of TF expression or exposure, thereby minimizing the risk of a systemic activation of the coagulation system.
• the insoluble fibrin forming the plug is furthermore stabilised by FXIII-catalysed cross-linking of the fibrin fibres.
• FVIIa exists in plasma mainly as a single-chain zymogen, which is cleaved by FXa into its two-chain, activated form, FVIIa.
• Recombinant activated factor Vila (rFVIIa) has been developed as a pro-haemostatic agent.
• the administration of rFVIIa offers a rapid and highly effective pro- haemostatic response in haemophilic subjects with bleedings who cannot be treated with coagulation factor products due to antibody formation.
• NovoSeven® Novo Nordisk A/S,Denmark
• Novoseven® is indicated for treatment of bleeding episodes in haemophilia A and B patients.
• Novoseven® is the only recombinant FVIIa available on the market for effective and reliable treatment of bleeding episodes.
• Protein C is a vitamin K-dependent serine protease of about 62.000 kDa, which is involved in down-regulation of the haemostatic response.
• Activated protein C is identical to auto- prothrombin ll-A.
• Protein C is synthesized in the liver as a 461 amino acids long single chain precursor (zymogen).
• the mature Protein C consists of two polypeptide chains, 155 and 262 amino acids long, respectively. Protein C is activated on the surface of endothelial cells by thrombin bound to thrombomodulin (TM). Together with its co-factor, vitamin K-dependent Protein S, activated Protein C (APC) catalyzes the proteolytic degradation of the membrane-bound thrombin- activated forms of coagulation factors V and VIII (Va and Villa). This mechanism is important for local inhibition of blood coagulation.
• TM thrombomodulin
• APC activated Protein C
• Thrombomodulin is a high affinity receptor for thrombin located on the endothe- lium.
• a dramatic change in the specificity of thrombin is associated with its binding to TM.
• TM- bound has lost its procoagulant properties (i.e., its ability to coagulate fibrinogen and activate platelets and factors V, VIII and XIII), but is a potent activator of protein C.
• TM is present on the vascular surface of endothelial cells of arteries, veins, capillaries and lymphatic vessels. It is also present at low concentrations in platelets, in squamous epithelium of the epidermis, in a variety of cultured cells, and in endothelial cell neoplasms.
• TM is an integral membrane protein that is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain.
• the mature glycoprotein contains 557 amino acids giving the apoprotein a molecular weight of 60.300 kDa.
• Activation of protein C by thrombin is slow, but formation of the thrombin-TM complex, e.g., on the surface of endothelial cells, results in a more than 20.000-fold increase in the activation rate.
• Thrombin and TM forms a 1.1 complex with high affinity.
• Protein S is a vitamin K-dependent plasma protein that is synthesized in the liver, in endothelial cells, and in testicular Leydig cells. Protein S functions as a cofactor to APC in the degradation of factors Va and Villa, though its mechanism of action is unknown.
• protein S has the highest affinity for negatively charged phospholipids, and it has been shown to increase the affinity of APC for this type of phospholipid.
• Protein S and APC appear to form a 1 :1 complex on the lipid surface. Protein S and APC also interact on the surface of platelets, platelet microparticles and on endothelial cells. In the presence of APC the affinity of the protein S binding increases more than 10-fold.
• protein S is also involved in the regulation of the classical way of the complement system based on the fact that about 60% of protein S in human plasma occurs in a high molecular weigh, non-covalent complex with C4b-binding protein. Only the free form of protein S functions as an APC cofactor.
• the protein C anticoagulant system is of the utmost importance for the regulation of blood coagulation in vivo. This is demonstrated by the severe thromboembolic disease affecting individuals with homozygous deficiency of protein C or protein S, and by the high incidence of thrombosis in people with heterozygous deficiency of either protein.
• European Patent No. 225.160 (Novo Nordisk) concerns compositions of FVIIa and methods for the treatment of bleeding disorders not caused by clotting factor defects or clotting factor inhibitors.
• European Patent No. 82.182 (Baxter Travenol Lab.) concerns a composition of factor Vila for use in counteracting deficiencies of blood clotting factors or the effects of inhibitors to blood clotting factors in a subject.
• International Patent Publication No. WO 93/06855 (Novo Nordisk) concerns the topical application of FVIIa.
• One object of the present invention is to provide compositions, which can effectively be used in the treatment or prophylaxis of bleeding episodes and coagulation disorders.
• a second object of the present invention is to provide compositions in single-unit dosage form, which can effectively be used in the treatment or prophylaxis of bleeding episodes or as a procoagulant.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide compositions, methods of treatment or kits exhibiting a synergistic effect.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide compositions, methods of treatment or kits exhibiting no substantial side effects, such as a high level of systemic activation of the coagulation system.
• the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide.
• the invention provides a kit of parts containing a treatment for bleeding episodes comprising a) An effective amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in a first unit dosage form; b) An effective amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in a second unit dosage form; and c) Container means for containing said first- and second-unit dosage forms.
• the invention provides the use of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide in combination with a thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide for the manufacture of a medicament for treating bleeding episodes in a subject.
• the invention provides the use of a composition as described in any one of claims 1 to18, for the manufacture of a medicament for treating bleeding episodes in a subject.
• the medicaments are for reducing time needed to obtain full haemostasis, reducing time needed to maintain haemostasis, reducing clotting time, prolonging the clot lysis time, and increasing clot strength.
• the medicaments are for treatment of subjects experiencing bleeding episodes due to surgery, trauma, or other forms of tissue damage; coagulophathy, in- eluding coagulopathy in multi-transfused subjects; congenital or acquired coagulation or bleeding disorders, including decreased liver function ("liver disease”); defective platelet function or decreased platelet number; lacking or abnormal essential clotting "compounds” (e.g., platelets or von Willebrand factor protein); increased fibrinolysis; anticoagulant therapy or thrombolytic therapy; stem cell transplantation.
• the bleedings occur in organs such as the brain, inner ear region, eyes, liver, lung, tumour tissue, gastrointestinal tract; in another series of embodiments, it is diffuse bleeding, such as in haemorrhagic gastritis and profuse uterine bleeding.
• the bleeding episodes are bleeding in connection with surgery or trauma in subjects having acute haemarthroses (bleedings in joints), chronic haemophilic arthropathy, haematomas, (e.g., muscular, retroperitoneal, sublingual and retropharyngeal), bleedings in other tissue, haematuria (bleeding from the renal tract), cerebral haemorrhage, surgery (e.g., hepatectomy), dental extraction, and gastrointestinal bleedings (e.g., UGI bleeds).
• the medicament is for treating bleeding episodes due to trauma, or surgery, or lowered count or activity of platelets, in a subject.
• the invention provides a method for treating bleeding episodes in a subject, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, wherein the first and second amount together are effective to treat bleedings.
• the invention provides a method for reducing clotting time in a sub- ject, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a second amount of a prepara- tion of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide wherein the first and second amount together are effective to reduce clotting time.
• the invention provides a method to enhance haemostasis in a subject, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide wherein the first and second amount together are effective to enhance haemostasis.
• the invention provides a method for prolonging the clot lysis time in a subject, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide wherein the first and second amount together are effective to prolong the clot lysis time.
• the invention provides a method for increasing clot strength in a subject, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide wherein the first and second amount together are effective to increase clot strength.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered in single-unit dosage form.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered in the form of a first-unit dosage form comprising a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a second-unit dosage form comprising a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide.
• the first-unit dosage form and the second-unit dosage form are administered with a time separation of no more than 15 minutes.
• the invention provides a kit containing a treatment for bleeding episodes comprising d) An effective amount of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and an effective amount of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in a single-unit dosage form; and e) Container means for containing said single-unit dosage form.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide is a factor Vll-related polypeptide. In one series of embodiments of the invention the factor Vll-related polypeptide is a factor VII amino acid sequence variant. In one embodiment the ratio between the activity of the factor Vll-related polypeptide and the activity of native human factor Vila (wild-type FVIIa) is at least about 1.25 when tested in the "In Vitro Hydrolysis Assay" as described in the present description. In one series of embodiments of the invention the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide is factor VII. In one embodiment said factor VII is human factor VII. In one embodiment the factor VII is bovine, porcine, canine, equine, murine or salmon factor VII.
• the factor VII is recombinantly made. In another embodiment the factor VII is derived from plasma. In a preferred embodiment the factor VII is recombinant human factor VII. In one series of embodiments of the invention the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide is in its activated form. In one preferred embodiment of the invention the factor VII is recombinant human factor Vila.
• the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related poly- peptide is a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide.
• the thrombomodulin- related polypeptide is a thrombomodulin amino acid-sequence variant.
• the ratio between the activity of said thrombomodulin-related polypeptide and the activity of native human plasma thrombomodulin (wild-type thrombomodulin) is at least about 1.25 when tested in the "thrombomodulin assay" as described in the present description.
• the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is a thrombomodulin polypeptide.
• the thrombomodulin is human thrombomodulin.
• the thrombomodulin is bovine, porcine, canine, equine, murine or salmon thrombomodulin. In a preferred embodiment the thrombomodulin is recombinantly made. In another embodiment the thrombomodulin is derived from plasma. In a preferred embodiment the thrombomodulin is re- combinant human plasma thrombomodulin. In one embodiment the thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is a fragment of thrombomodulin. In one embodiment the thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is a hybrid thrombomodulin polypeptide, e.g., a porcine/human hybrid.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are present in a ratio by mass of between about 100:1 and about 1 :100 (w/w factor Vlhthrombomodulin).
• the factor Vll-related polypeptides are amino acid sequence variants having no more than 20 amino acids replaced, deleted or inserted compared to wild- type factor VII (i.e., a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,784,950), In another embodiment, the factor VII variants have no more than 15 amino acids replaced, deleted or inserted; in other embodiments, the factor VII variants have no more than 10 amino acids, such as 8, 6, 5, or 3 amino acids, replaced, deleted or inserted compared to wild- type factor VII.
• the factor VII variants are selected from the list of L305V- FVIIa, L305V/M306D/D309S-FVIIa, L305l-FVIIa, L305T-FVIIa, F374P-FVIIa, V158T/M298Q-FVIIa, V158D/E296V/M298Q-FVIIa, K337A-FVIIa, M298Q-FVIIa, V158D/M298Q-FVIIa, L305V/K337A-FVIIa, V158D/E296V/M298Q/L305V-FVIIa, V158D/E296V/M298Q/K337A-FVIIa, V158D/E296V/M298Q/L305V/K337A-FVIIa, V158D/E296V/M298Q/L305V/K337A-FVIIa, K157A
• the factor Vll-related polypeptides have increased tissue factor-independent activity compared to native human coagulation factor Vila.
• the increased activity is not accompanied by changes in the substrate specificity.
• the binding of the factor Vll-related polypeptides to tissue factor are not impaired and the factor Vll-related polypeptides have at least the activity of wild-type factor Vila when bound to tissue factor.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are recombinant human factor Vila and recombinant human thrombomodulin.
• the clotting time is reduced in mammalian blood.
• the haemostasis is enhanced in mammalian blood.
• the clot lysis time is prolonged in mammalian blood.
• the clot strength is increased in mammalian blood.
• the mammalian blood is human blood.
• the mammalian blood is normal human blood; in one embodiment, the blood is blood from a subject having an impaired thrombin generation.
• the blood is blood from a subject having a deficiency of one or more coagulation factors; in another embodiment, the blood is blood from a subject having inhibitors against one or more coagulation factors; in one embodiment, the blood is from a subject having a lowered concentration of fibrinogen; in one embodiment, the blood is thrombomodulin-deficient human blood. In one series of embodiments, the blood is plasma.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are the sole haemostatic agents contained in the composition. In another embodiment, the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are the sole active haemostatic agents contained in the composition. In another embodiment, the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are the sole coagulation factors administered to the subject. In one embodiment of the invention, the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are the sole active agents administered to the patient.
• the composition is substantially free of thrombin or prothrombin; in another embodiment, the composition is substantially free of FX; in another embodiment, the composition is substantially free of FXa.
• the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for intravenous administration, preferably injection or infusion, in particular injection.
• the composition contains at least one pharmaceutical acceptable excipients or carrier.
• the composition is in single-unit dosage form wherein the single-unit dosage form contains both coagulation factors.
• the composition is in the form of a kit-of-parts comprising a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide as a first-unit dosage form and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide as a second-unit dosage form, and comprising container means for containing said first and second unit dosage forms.
• the composition or kit as applicable, further contains directions for the administration of the composition or separate components, respectively.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered in single- dosage form.
• the factor VU or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered in the form of a first-unit dosage form comprising a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll- related polypeptide and a second-unit dosage form comprising a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered simultaneously. In another embodiment, the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered sequentially. In one embodiment, the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered with a time separation of no more than 15 minutes, preferably 10, more preferred 5, more preferred 2 minutes.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are administered with a time separation of up to 2 hours, preferably from 1 to 2 hours, more preferred up to 1 hour, more preferred from 30 minutes to 1 hour, more preferred up to 30 minutes, more preferred from 15 to 30 minutes.
• the effective amount of the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide is an amount from about 0.05 mg/day to about 500 mg/day (70-kg subject).
• the effective amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide is from about 0.01 mg/day to about 500 mg/day (70-kg subject).
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are present in a ratio by mass of between about 100:1 and about 1 :100 (w/w factor VI thrombomodulin)
• the pharmaceutical composition is in single-unit dosage form and consists essentially of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll- related polypeptide, and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, and one or more of the components selected from the list of pharmaceutical acceptable carriers, stabilizers, detergents, neutral salts, antioxidants, preservatives, and protease inhibitors.
• the pharmaceutical composition is in the form of a kit-of-parts with the first-unit dosage form consisting essentially of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and one or more of the components selected from the list of pharmaceutical acceptable carriers, stabilizers, detergents, neutral salts, antioxidants, preservatives, and protease inhibitors; and with the second-unit dosage form consisting essentially of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide and one or more of the components selected from the list of pharmaceutical acceptable carriers, stabilizers, detergents, neutral salts, antioxidants, preservatives, and protease inhibitors.
• the subject is a human; in another embodiment, the subject has an impaired thrombin generation; in one embodiment, the subject has a lowered plasma concentration of fibrinogen (e.g., a multi-transfused subject); in one embodiment, the subject has a lowered plasma concentration of factor VIII or FIX.
• fibrinogen e.g., a multi-transfused subject
• the subject has a lowered plasma concentration of factor VIII or FIX.
• the invention concerns a method to enhance haemostasis in a subject suffering from a factor VII responsive syndrome compared to when the subject is treated with factor VII as the only coagulation protein, the method comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, wherein the first and second amounts together are effective to enhance haemostasis.
• the invention concerns a method to enhance formation of thrombin in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a second amount of a prepara- tion of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, wherein the first and second amounts together are effective to enhance formation of thrombin.
• the invention concerns a method to enhance formation of thrombin in a subject suffering from a factor VII responsive syndrome compared to when the subject is treated with factor VII as the only coagulation protein, the method comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide, wherein the first and second amounts together are effective to enhance formation of thrombin.
• the invention concerns a method for reducing the number of administrations of coagulation factor protein needed to accomplish haemostasis in a subject suffering from a factor VII responsive syndrome compared to the number of administrations needed when factor VII is administered to the subject as the only coagulation factor protein, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, wherein the first and second amounts together are effec- tive to reduce the number of administrations of coagulation factor protein.
• the invention concerns a method of treating bleedings in a subject suffering from a factor VII responsive syndrome, the method comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide, wherein the first and second amounts together are effective in treating bleedings.
• the factor VII is human recombinant factor Vila (rFVIIa).
• the rFVIIa is NovoSeven® (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark).
• the invention relates to the use of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide in combination with a thrombomodulin for the manufacture of a medicament for enhancing fibrin clot formation in mammalian plasma.
• the invention in another aspect, relates to a method of enhancing fibrin clot formation in a subject, which method comprises administering to a subject in need thereof a first amount of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a second amount of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, wherein the first and second amounts together are effective in treating bleedings.
• Figure 1 illustrates that in a clot lysis assay addition of FVIIa results in a dose-dependent prolongation of the clot lysis time. This effect was optimal at 10 nM FVIIa.
• Figure 2 illustrates that in the presence of 10 nM FVIIa, addition of thrombomodulin resulted in a further prolongation of the clot lysis time. The effect was dose-dependent and optimal at 10 nM thrombomodulin.
• moderate bleedings may lead to complications if they require the administration of human blood or blood products (platelets, leukocytes, plasma-derived concentrates for the treatment of coagulation defects, etc.) because this is associated with the risk of transferring human viruses (e.g., hepatitis, HIV, parvovirus, or other, by now unknown viruses) as well as non-viral pathogens.
• Extensive bleedings requiring massive blood transfusions may lead to the development of multiple organ failure including impaired lung and kidney function.
• Subjects with thrombocytopenia also have an impaired thrombin generation as well as a defective stabilization of the fibrin plugs resulting in haemostatic plugs prone to premature dissolution.
• subjects subjected to major trauma or organ damage and who, as a consequence, have obtained frequent blood transfusions often have lowered platelet counts as well as lowered levels of fibrinogen, factor VIII, and other coagulation proteins.
• These subjects experience an impaired (or lowered) thrombin generation.
• These subjects therefore, have a defective, or less efficient, haemostasis leading to the formation of fibrin plugs that are easily and prematurely dissolved by proteolytic enzymes, such enzymes in addition being extensively released in situations characterized by extensive trauma and organ damage.
• haematomas Bleedings in tissues may also lead to the formation of haematomas.
• the sizes of (in particular intercranial and spinal) haematomas are closely correlated to the extent of loss of neurological function, rehabilitation difficulties, and/or the severity and degree of permanent impair- ments of neurological function following rehabilitation. The most severe consequences of haematomas are seen when they are located in the brain where they may even lead to the death of the patient.
• compositions, uses and methods of treatment for treatment of bleeding episodes in subjects in need of such treatment.
• the compositions, uses and methods may be associated with beneficial effects such as less blood loss before haemostasis is obtained, less blood needed during surgery, blood pressure kept at an acceptable level until haemostasis is obtained, faster stabilisation of blood pressure, shorter recovery time for the treated patient, shorter rehabilitation time for the treated patient, diminished formation of haematomas or formation of smaller haematomas, including haematomas in the brain, faster arrest of bleedings, reduction in the number of administrations needed to stop bleeding and maintain haemostasis.
• a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide e.g., factor Vila
• a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide provides a shortened clotting time, a firmer clot and an increased resistance to f ibrinolysis compared to the clotting time, clot firmness and resistance when either factor Vila or thrombomodulin is administered alone.
• the administration of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, e.g., factor Vila, in combination with a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide also provides for a reduced time to obtain bleeding arrest and a reduced number of administrations to maintain haemostasis compared to the situation when either factor Vila or thrombomodulin is administered alone.
• the present invention provides a beneficial effect of simultaneous or sequential dosing of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide and a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide.
• the pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention may be in the form of a sin- gle composition or it may be in the form of a multi-component kit (kit-of-parts).
• kit-of-parts The composition according to the present invention is useful as a therapeutic and prophylactic procoagulant in mammals, including primates such as humans.
• the present invention further provides a method for treating (including prophylactically treating or preventing) bleeding episodes in a subject, including a human being. Whenever, a first or second or third, etc., unit dose is mentioned throughout this specification this does not indicate the preferred order of administration, but is merely done for convenience purposes.
• a combination of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is an advantageous product ensuring short clotting times, rapid formation of haemostatic plugs, and formation of stable haemostatic plugs. It has been found by the present inventor that a combination of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is an advantageous product ensuring the formation of solid, stable and quickly formed haemostatic plugs. The present inventors have shown that a combination of factor Vila and thrombomodulin can increase the firmness of the clot more effectively than either factor Vila or thrombomodulin alone.
• combination of factor VII or a factor VII- related polypeptide and a thrombomodulin can prolong the in vitro clot lysis time in normal human plasma more effectively than either factor Vila or thrombomodulin alone. It has also been shown that combination of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a thrombomodulin can prolong the half-clot lysis time in normal human plasma more effectively than either factor Vila or thrombomodulin alone.
• factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a thrombomodulin can protect the clot from f ibrinolysis, in particular tPA-mediated f ibrinolysis, in normal human plasma more effectively than either factor Vila or thrombomodulin alone.
• a more effective treatment of bleeding in subjects can be obtained.
• the full thrombin generation is necessary for a solid, stabile haemostatic plug to be formed, and thereby for the maintenance of haemostasis.
• the fibrin structure of such a plug is dependent on both the amount of thrombin formed and the rate of the initial thrombin generation.
• a porous fibrin plug which is highly permeable, is being formed.
• the fibrinolytic en- zymes normally present on the fibrin surface easily dissolve such a fibrin plug.
• the formation of a stable fibrin plug is also dependent on the presence of factor Xllla, which is being activated by thrombin and therefore also dependent on the full thrombin generation.
• the recently described thrombin activatable fibrinolytic inhibitor, TAFI requires rather high thrombin amounts for its activation. In the presence of a not fully adequate thrombin formation the TAFI may therefore not be activated resulting in the formation of a haemostatic plug, which is easier than normally dissolved by the normal fibrinolytic activity.
• thrombocytopenia In situations with lowered number of platelets, thrombocytopenia, a faster thrombin generation is initiated by the administration of exogenous extra factor Vila. However, the total thrombin generation is not normalised by factor Vila even in high concentrations. In subjects with lowered plasma concentrations of f ibrinogen (multi-transfused subjects as a consequence of multiple trauma or extensive surgery) full thrombin activation does not occur. A more effective haemostasis is then obtained by the administration of a combination of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a thrombomodulin.
• Subjects with thrombocytopenia have an impaired thrombin generation as well as a de- fective stabilization of the fibrin plugs resulting in haemostatic plugs prone to premature dissolution.
• subjects subjected to major trauma or organ damage and who, as a consequence, have obtained frequent blood transfusions often have lowered platelet counts as well as lowered levels of fibrinogen, factor VIII, and other coagulation proteins. These subjects experience an impaired (or lowered) thrombin generation.
• their lowered fibrinogen level interfere negatively with the activation of factor XIII.
• compositions according to the invention are administered.
• This composition is especially beneficial in subjects with a lowered number of platelets and in subjects with lowered plasma levels of fibrinogen and/or other coagulation proteins.
• any factor VII polypeptide may be used that is effective in preventing or treating bleeding.
• factor VII polypeptides such as, e.g., those having the amino acid sequence disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,784,950 (wild-type human factor VII).
• the factor VII polypeptide is human factor Vila, as disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Patent No. 4,784,950 (wild-type factor VII).
• factor VII polypeptides include polypeptides that exhibit at least about 10%, preferably at least about 30%, more preferably at least about 50%, and most preferably at least about 70%, of the specific biological activity of human factor Vila.
• factor VII polypeptides include polypeptides that exhibit at least about 90%, preferably at least about 100%, preferably at least about 120%, more preferably at least about 140%, and most preferably at least about 160%, of the specific biological activity of human factor Vila.
• factor VII polypeptides include polypeptides that exhibit at least about 70 %, preferably at least about 80 %, more preferably at least about 90 %, and most preferable at least about 95 %, of identity with the sequence of wild-type factor VII as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,784,950.
• factor VII polypeptide encompasses, without limitation, factor VII, as well as factor Vll-related polypeptides.
• factor VII is intended to encompass, without limitation, polypeptides having the amino acid sequence 1-406 of wild-type human factor VII (as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,784,950), as well as wild-type factor VII derived from other species, such as, e.g., bovine, porcine, canine, murine, and salmon factor VII, said factor VII derived from blood or plasma, or produced by recombinant means. It further encompasses natural allelic variations of factor VII that may exist and occur from one individual to another. Also, degree and location of glycosylation or other post-translation modifications may vary depending on the chosen host cells and the nature of the host cellular environment.
• factor VII is also intended to encompass factor VII polypeptides in their uncleaved (zymogen) form, as well as those that have been proteolytically processed to yield their respective bioactive forms, which may be designated factor Vila.
• factor VII is cleaved between residues 152 and 153 to yield factor Vila.
• Factor Vll-related polypeptides include, without limitation, factor VII polypeptides that have either been chemically modified relative to human factor VII and/or contain one or more amino acid sequence alterations relative to human factor VII (i.e., factor VII variants), and/or contain truncated amino acid sequences relative to human factor VII (i.e., factor VII fragments).
• factor Vll-related polypeptides may exhibit different properties relative to human factor VII, including stability, phospholipid binding, altered specific activity, and the like.
• factor Vll-related polypeptides are intended to encompass such polypeptides in their uncleaved (zymogen) form, as well as those that have been proteolytically processed to yield their respective bioactive forms, which may be designated "factor Vila-related polypeptides" or "activated factor Vll-related polypeptides"
• factor Vll-related polypeptides encompasses, without limitation, polypeptides exhibiting substantially the same or improved biological activity relative to wild- type human factor VII, as well as polypeptides in which the factor Vila biological activity has been substantially modified or reduced relative to the activity of wild-type human factor Vila.
• polypeptides include, without limitation, factor VII or factor Vila that has been chemically modified and factor VII variants into which specific amino acid sequence alterations have been introduced that modify or disrupt the bioactivity of the polypeptide.
• polypeptides with a slightly modified amino acid sequence for instance, polypeptides having a modified N-terminal end including N-terminal amino acid deletions or additions, and/or polypeptides that have been chemically modified relative to human factor Vila.
• Factor Vll-related polypeptides including variants of factor VII, whether exhibiting substantially the same or better bioactivity than wild-type factor VII, or, alternatively, exhibiting substantially modified or reduced bioactivity relative to wild-type factor VII, include, without limitation, polypeptides having an amino acid sequence that differs from the sequence of wild- type factor VII by insertion, deletion, or substitution of one or more amino acids.
• Factor Vll-related polypeptides encompass those that exhibit at least about 10%, at least about 20%, at least about 25%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, at least about 100%, at least about 110%, at least about 120%, or at least about 130%, of the specific activity of wild-type factor Vila that has been produced in the same cell type, when tested in one or more of a clotting assay, proteolysis assay, or TF binding assay as described above.
• Factor Vll-related polypeptides having substantially the same or improved biological activity relative to wild-type factor Vila encompass those that exhibit at least about 25%, preferably at least about 50%, more preferably at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 100%, more preferably at least about 110%, more preferably at least about 120%, and most preferably at least about 130% of the specific activity of wild-type factor Vila that has been produced in the same cell type, when tested in one or more of a clotting assay, proteolysis assay, or TF binding assay as described above.
• Factor Vll-related polypeptides including variants, having substantially reduced biological activity relative to wild-type factor Vila are those that exhibit less than about 25%, preferably less than about 10%, more preferably less than about 5% and most preferably less than about 1 % of the specific activity of wild-type factor Vila that has been produced in the same cell type when tested in one or more of a clotting assay, proteolysis assay, or TF binding assay as described above, factor VII variants having a substantially modified biological activity relative to wild-type factor VII include, without limitation, factor VII variants that exhibit TF- independent factor X proteolytic activity and those that bind TF but do not cleave factor X.
• the factor VII polypeptides are factor Vll-related polypeptides, in particular variants, wherein the ratio between the activity of said factor VII polypeptide and the activity of native human factor Vila (wild-type FVIIa) is at least about 1.25 when tested in the "In Vitro Hydrolysis Assay” (see “Assays", below); in other embodiments, the ratio is at least about 2.0; in further embodiments, the ratio is at least about 4.0.
• the factor VII polypeptides are factor Vll-related polypeptides, in particular variants, wherein the ratio between the activity of said factor VII polypeptide and the activity of native human factor Vila (wild-type FVIIa) is at least about 1.25 when tested in the "In Vitro Proteolysis Assay” (see “Assays", below); in other embodiments, the ratio is at least about 2.0; in further embodiments, the ratio is at least about 4.0; in further embodiments, the ratio is at least about 8.0.
• the factor VII polypeptide is human factor VII, as disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Patent No. 4,784,950 (wild-type factor VII).
• the factor VII polypeptide is human factor Vila.
• the factor VII polypeptides are factor Vll-related polypeptides that exhibits at least about 10%, preferably at least about 30%, more preferably at least about 50%, and most preferably at least about 70%, of the specific biological activity of human factor Vila.
• the factor VII polypeptides have an amino acid sequence that differs from the sequence of wild-type factor VII by insertion, deletion, or substitution of one or more amino acids.
• Non-limiting examples of factor VII variants having substantially the same or better biological activity compared to wild-type factor Vila include, but are not limited to, those described in Danish Patent Applications Nos. PA 2000 00734 and PA 2000 01360 (corresponding to WO 01/83725), and PA 2000 01361 (corresponding to WO 02/22776).
• Non-limiting examples of factor VII variants having substantially the same or improved biological activity as wild-type factor VII include S52A-FVII, S60A-FVII (lino et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys.
• Patent No. 5,580,560 factor Vila that has been proteolytically cleaved between residues 290 and 291 or between residues 315 and 316 (Mollerup et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 48:501-505, 1995); and oxidized forms of factor Vila (Kornfelt et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 363:43-54, 1999).
• Non-limiting examples of factor VII variants having substantially reduced or modified biological activity relative to wild-type factor VII include R152E-FVIIa (Wildgoose et al., Biochem 29:3413-3420, 1990), S344A-FVIIa (Kazama et al., J. Biol.
• factor Vila in blood clotting derives from its ability to (i) bind to tissue factor (TF) and (ii) catalyze the proteolytic cleavage of factor IX or factor X to produce activated factor IX or X (factor IXa or Xa, respectively).
• factor VII biological activity may be quantified by measuring the ability of a preparation to promote blood clotting using factor Vll-def icient plasma and thromboplastin, as described, e.g., in U.S. Patent No. 5,997,864.
• biological activity is expressed as the reduction in clotting time relative to a control sample and is converted to "factor VII units” by comparison with a pooled human serum standard containing 1 unit/ml factor VII activity.
• factor Vila biological activity may be quantified by (i) Measuring the ability of factor Vila or a factor Vila -related polypeptide to produce activated factor X (factor Xa) in a system comprising TF embedded in a lipid membrane and factor X. (Persson et al., J. Biol. Chem. 272:19919-19924, 1997); (ii) Measuring factor X hydrolysis in an aqueous system ("In Vitro Proteolysis Assay", see below); (iii) Measuring the physical binding of factor Vila or a factor Vila -related polypeptide to TF using an instrument based on surface plasmon resonance (Persson, FEBS Letts.
• factor VII biological activity or "factor VII activity” is intended to include the ability to generate thrombin; the term also includes the ability to generate thrombin on the surface of activated platelets in the absence of tissue factor.
• a factor Vila preparation that may be used according to the invention is, without limita- tion, NovoSeven® (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark).
• the present invention encompasses the use of thrombomodulin polypeptides, such as, e.g., those having the amino acid sequence disclosed by Suzuki et al., EMBO J 6:1891-1897, 1987 (wild-type human thrombomodulin).
• any thrombomodulin polypeptide may be used that is effective in preventing or treating bleeding.
• thrombomodulin polypeptide encompasses, without limitation, thrombomodulin, as well as thrombomodulin-related polypeptides.
• thrombomodulin is intended to encompass, without limitation, polypeptides having the amino acid sequence as described in Suzuki et al., EMBO J 6:1891-1897, 1987 (wild-type human thrombomodulin), as well as wild-type thrombomodulin derived from other species, such as, e.g., bovine, porcine, canine, murine, and salmon thrombomodulin. It further encompasses natural allelic variations of thrombomodulin that may exist and occur from one individual to another.
• thrombomodulin is also intended to encompass thrombomodulin polypeptides in their zymogen form, as well as those that have been processed to yield their respective bioactive forms.
• Thrombomodulin-related polypeptides include, without limitation, thrombomodulin polypeptides that have either been chemically modified relative to human thrombomodulin and/or contain one or more amino acid sequence alterations relative to human thrombomodulin (i.e., thrombomodulin variants), and/or contain truncated amino acid sequences relative to human thrombomodulin (i.e., thrombomodulin fragments). Such thrombomodulin-related polypeptides may exhibit different properties relative to human thrombomodulin, including stability, phospholipid binding, altered specific activity, and the like.
• thrombomodulin-related polypeptides are intended to encompass such polypeptides in their zymogen form, as well as those that have been processed to yield their respective bioactive forms.
• thrombomodulin-related polypeptides encompasses, without limitation, polypeptides exhibiting substantially the same or improved biological activity relative to wild-type human thrombomodulin, as well as polypeptides, in which the thrombomodulin biological activity has been substantially modified or reduced relative to the activity of wild-type human thrombomodulin.
• polypeptides include, without limitation, thrombomodulin that has been chemically modified and thrombomodulin variants into which specific amino acid sequence alterations have been introduced that modify or disrupt the bioactivity of the polypeptide.
• polypeptides with a slightly modified amino acid sequence for instance, polypeptides having a modified N-terminal end including N-terminal amino acid deletions or additions, and/or polypeptides that have been chemically modified relative to human thrombomodulin.
• Thrombomodulin-related polypeptides include, without limitation, polypeptides having an amino acid sequence that differs from the sequence of wild-type thrombomodulin by insertion, deletion, or substitution of one or more amino acids.
• Thrombomodulin-related polypeptides encompass those that exhibit at least about 10%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, at least about 100%, at least about 110%, at least about 120%, and at least about 130%, of the specific activity of wild-type thrombomodulin that has been produced in the same cell type, when tested in the thrombomodulin activity assay as described in the present specification.
• Thrombomodulin-related polypeptides including variants, having substantially the same or improved biological activity relative to wild-type thrombomodulin encompass those that exhibit at least about 25%, preferably at least about 50%, more preferably at least about 75%, more preferably at least about 100%, more preferably at least about 110%, more preferably at least about 120%, and most preferably at least about 130% of the specific biological activity of wild-type human thrombomodulin that has been produced in the same cell type when tested in one or more of the specific thrombomodulin activity assay as described.
• thrombomodulin biological activity may be quantified as described by Nakashima et al., J Clin Pharmacol 38: 540, 1998 (se "assay part" of the present description).
• Thrombomodulin-related polypeptides including variants, having substantially reduced biological activity relative to wild-type thrombomodulin are those that exhibit less than about 25%, preferably less than about 10%, more preferably less than about 5% and most preferably less than about 1 % of the specific activity of wild-type thrombomodulin that has been produced in the same cell type when tested in one or more of the specific thrombomodulin activity assays as described above.
• thrombomodulin equivalents include lung tissue-derived human thrombomodulin as described, e.g., in International Publication No. WO 87/00050; recombinant human thrombomodulin as described, e.g., in International Publication No.
• WO 88/09811 or in European Patent No. 290419; analogues (equivalents) as described, e.g., in International Publication Nos. WO 90/10081, WO 91/05803, WO 91/15514, WO 92/00325, WO 92/03149, WO 93/25675, WO 93/15755, US Patent No. 5863760, and Japanese Patent applications Nos. JP 11341990, JP 08231413, JP 07224100, JP 04210700; and rat thrombomodulin as described, e.g., in Japanese Patent application No. JP 09268200.
• the thrombomodulin are thrombomodulin equivalents wherein the ratio between the activity of said thrombomodulin polypeptide and the activity of native human thrombomodulin (wild-type thrombomodulin) is at least about 1.25 when tested in the "thromobomodulin assay" (Nakashima et al., J Clin Pharmacol 38: 540, 1998, see above); in other embodiments, the ratio is at least about 2.0; in further embodiments, the ratio is at least about 4.0.
• Thrombomodulin-related polypeptides also include fragments of thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptides retaining their characteristic haemostasis-related activity.
• the haemostasis-related activity of a thrombomodulin polypeptide may, for example, be measured using the thrombomodulin-activity assay described in the present specification.
• amino acids mentioned herein are L-amino acids. It is to be understood, that the first letter in, for example, K337 represent the amino acid naturally present at the indicated position wild-type factor VII, and that, for example, [K337A]-FVIIa designates the FVII-variant wherein the amino acid represented by the one-letter code K naturally present in the indicated position is replaced by the amino acid represented by the one-letter code A.
• Table 1 Abbreviations for amino acids:
• factor Vila or "FVIIa” may be used interchangeably.
• "subjects with an impaired thrombin generation” means subjects who cannot generate a full thrombin burst on the activated platelet surface and includes subjects having a generation of thrombin less that the thrombin-generation in subjects having a fully functioning, normal haemostatic system, including a normal amount and function of coagulation factors, platelets and fibrinogen (e.g., as in pooled, normal human plasma), and includes, without limitations, subjects lacking factor VIII; subjects having a lowered number of platelets or platelets with a defective function (e.g., thrombocytopenia or thrombasthenia Glanzmann or subjects with excessive bleeds); subjects having lowered levels of prothrombin, FX or FVII; subjects having a lowered level of several coagulation factors (e.g., due to exessive bleeding as a consequence of trauma or extensive surgery); and subjects with lowered plasma concentrations of fibr
• level of thrombin generation or "normal thrombin generation” is meant the level of the patient's level of thrombin generation compared to the level in healthy subjects. The level is designated as a percentage of the normal level. The terms may, where appropriate, be used interchangeably.
• the term "enhancement of the haemostatic system” means an enhancement of the ability to generate thrombin.
• the term “enhancing haemostasis” is intended to encompass the situations when the measured thrombin generation for a test sample containing a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide is prolonged relative to the individual thrombin generation of a control sample containing only the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide or the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, respectively, when tested in the same thrombin generation assay.
• the thrombin generation may be assayed as described in the thrombin generation assay of the present description (see “assay part").
• sole agents or factors as used herein refers to situations in which the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, taken together, are the only haemostatic agents, or active haemostatic agents, or coagulation factors contained in the pharmaceutical composition or kit, or are the only haemostatic agents,or active haemostatic agents, or coagulation factors administered to the patient in the course of a particular treatment, such as, e.g., in the course of a particular bleeding episode. It will be understood that these situations encompass those in which other haemostatic agents or coagulation factors, as applicable, are not present in either sufficient quantity or activity so as to significantly influence one or more coagulation parameters.
• Clot lysis time, clot strength, fibrin clot formation, and clotting time are clinical parameters used for assaying the status of patient's haemostatic system. Blood samples are drawn from the patient at suitable intervals and one or more of the parameters are assayed by means of, e.g., thromboelastograpy as described by, e.g., Meh et al.,Blood Coagulation & Fibrinolysis 2001;12:627- 637; Vig et al., Hematology, Vol. 6 (3) pp. 205-213 (2001); Vig et al., Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis, Vol. 12 (7) pp.
• thromboelastograpy as described by, e.g., Meh et al.,Blood Coagulation & Fibrinolysis 2001;12:627- 637; Vig et al., Hematology, Vol. 6 (3) pp. 205-2
• the term "prolonging clot lysis time" is intended to encompass the situations when the measured clot lysis time for a test sample containing a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll- related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is prolonged relative to the individual clot lysis time of a control sample containing only the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide or the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, respectively, when tested in the same clot lysis assay.
• the clot lysis time may be assayed as described above.
• the term "increasing clot strength" is intended to encompass the situations when the measured clot strength, e.g., mechanical strength, for a test sample containing a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is increased relative to the individual clot lysis time of a control sample containing only the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide or the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, respectively, when tested in the same clot strength assay.
• the clot strength may be assayed as described, e.g. in Carr et al, 1991. (Carr ME, Zekert SL. Measurement of platelet-mediated force development during plasma clot formation. AM J MED SCI 1991; 302: 13-8), or as described above by means of thromboelastography.
• enhancing fibrin clot formation is intended to encompass the situations when the measured rate for or degree of fibrin clot formation for a test sample containing a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is increased relative to the individual rate for or degree of fibrin clot formation of a control sample containing only the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide or the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, respectively, when tested in the same clotting assay.
• the fibrin clot formation may be assayed as described above.
• shortening clotting time is intended to encompass the situations when the measured time for clot formation (clotting time) for a test sample containing a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is increased relative to the individual clotting time of a control sample containing only the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide or the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide respectively, when tested in the same clotting assay.
• the clotting time may be assayed by means of standard PT og aPTT assays, which are known to the general skilled person.
• lowered count or activity of platelets refers to the number of platelets (throm- bocytes) present in the subject's plasma and to the biological, coagulation-related activity of such platelets. Lowered counts may be due, e.g., to increased platelet destruction, decreased platelet production, and pooling of a larger than normal fraction of platelets in the spleen.
• Thrombocytopenia for example, is defined as a platelet count less than 150,000 platelets per microliter; the upper limit of the normal platelet count is generally considered to be between 350,000 and 450,000 platelets per microliter. Platelet count may be measured by automated platelet counters; this is a well known method to the skilled worker.
• Syndromes due to lowered platelet count include, with- out limitation, thrombocytopenia, coagulophathy.
• Activity includes, without limitation, aggregation, adhesion, and coagulant activity of the platelets. Decreased activity may be due, e.g., to glyco- protein abnormalities, abnormal membrane-cytoskeleton interaction, abnormalities of platelet granules, abnormalities of platelet coagulant activity, abnormalities of signal transduction and secretion. Platelet activity, including aggregation, adhesion, and coagulant activity, are measured by standard methods known to the skilled worker, see e.g.,Platelets. A Practical Approach, Ed. S.P.
• bleeding disorder reflects any defect, congenital, acquired or induced, of cellular or molecular origin that is manifested in bleeding episodes.
• bleeding disorders include, but are not limited to, clotting factor deficiencies (e.g. deficiency of coagula- tion factors VIII, IX, XI or VII), clotting factor inhibitors, defective platelet function (e.g.,
• Glanzmann thombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome thrombocytopenia, von Willebrand's disease, and coagulophathy such as that caused by a dilution of coagulation proteins, increased fibrinolysis and lowered number of platelets due to bleedings and/or transfusions (e.g., in multi transfused subjects having been subjected to surgery or trauma).
• Bleeding refers to extravasation of blood from any component of the circulatory system.
• bleeding episodes is meant to include unwanted, uncontrolled and often excessive bleeding in connection with surgery, trauma, or other forms of tissue damage, as well as un- wanted bleedings in subjects having bleeding disorders.
• Bleeding episodes may occur in subjects having a basically normal coagulation system but experiencing a (temporary) coagulophathy, as well as in subjects having congenital or acquired coagulation or bleeding disorders.
• the bleedings may be likened to bleedings caused by hae- mophilia because the haemostatic system, as in haemophilia, lacks or has abnormal essential clotting "compounds" (e.g., platelets or von Willebrand factor protein).
• the normal haemostatic mechanism may be overwhelmed by the demand of immediate haemostasis and they may develop excessive bleeding in spite of a basically (pre-trauma or pre-surgery) normal haemostatic mechanism.
• Such subjects who further often are multi transfused, develop a (temporary) coagulopathy as a result of the bleeding and/or transfusions (i.e., a dilution of coagulation proteins, increased fibrinolysis and lowered number of platelets due to the bleeding and/or transfusions).
• Bleedings may also occur in organs such as the brain, inner ear region and eyes; these are areas with limited possibilities for surgical haemostasis and thus problems with achiev- ing satisfactory haemostasis. Similar problems may arise in the process of taking biopsies from various organs (liver, lung, tumour tissue, gastrointestinal tract) as well as in laparoscopic surgery and radical retropubic prostatectomy. Common for all these situations is the difficulty to provide haemostasis by surgical techniques (sutures, clips, etc.) which also is the case when bleeding is diffuse (e.g., haemorrhagic gastritis and profuse uterine bleeding).
• Bleedings may also occur in subjects on anticoagulant therapy in whom a defective haemostasis has been induced by the therapy given; these bleedings are often acute and profuse.
• Anticoagulant therapy is often given to prevent thromboembolic disease.
• Such therapy may include heparin, other forms of pro- teoglycans, warfarin or other forms of vitamin K-antagonists as well as aspirin and other platelet aggregation inhibitors, such as, e.g., antibodies or other inhibitors of GP llb/llla activity.
• the bleeding may also be due to so-called thrombolytic therapy which comprises combined treatment with an antiplatelet agent (e.g., acetylsalicylic acid), an anticoagulant (e.g., heparin), and a fibrinolytic agent (e.g., tissue plasminogen activator, tPA).
• an antiplatelet agent e.g., acetylsalicylic acid
• an anticoagulant e.g., heparin
• a fibrinolytic agent e.g., tissue plasminogen activator, tPA
• Bleeding episodes are also meant to include, without limitation, uncontrolled and excessive bleeding in connection with surgery or trauma in subjects having acute haemarthroses (bleedings in joints), chronic haemophilic ar- thropathy, haematomas, (e.g., muscular, retroperitoneal, sublingual and retropharyngeal), bleedings in other tissue, haematuria (bleeding from the renal tract), cerebral haemorrhage, surgery (e.g., hepatectomy), dental extraction, and gastrointestinal bleedings (e.g., UGI bleeds).
• acute haemarthroses bleedings in joints
• chronic haemophilic ar- thropathy e.g., ar- thropathy
• haematomas e.g., muscular, retroperitoneal, sublingual and retropharyngeal
• bleedings in other tissue e.g., haematuria (bleeding from the renal tract), cerebral haemorrhage, surgery (e.g., hepat
• the bleeding episodes may be associated with inhibitors against factor VIII; haemophilia A; haemophilia A with inhibitors; haemophilia B; deficiency of factor VII; deficiency of thrombomodulin; thrombocytopenia; deficiency of von Willebrand factor (von Willebrand's disease); severe tissue damage; severe trauma; surgery; laparoscopic surgery; haemorrhagic gastritis; taking biopsies; anticoagulant therapy; upper gastroentestinal bleedings (UGI); or stem cell transplantation.
• the bleeding episodes may be profuse uterine bleeding; occurring in organs with a limited possibility for mechanical haemostasis; occurring in the brain; occurring in the inner ear region; or occurring in the eyes.
• bleeding episodes and “bleedings” may, where appropriate, be used interchangeably.
• the term “treatment” is meant to include both prevention of an expected bleeding, such as, for example, in surgery, and regulation of an already occurring bleeding, such as, for example, in trauma, with the purpose of inhibiting or minimising the bleeding.
• expected bleeding may be a bleeding expected to occur in a particular tissue or organ, or it may be an unspecified bleeding.
• Prophylactic administration of a prepara- tion of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is thus included in the term "treatment".
• subject as used herein is intended to mean any animal, in particular mammals, such as humans, and may, where appropriate, be used interchangeably with the term “patient”.
• present invention also encompasses the use of factor VII or FVII-related polypeptides, and tPA inhibitors within veterinary procedures.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptides and thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptides as defined in the present specification may be administered simultaneously or sequentially.
• the factors may be supplied in single-dosage form wherein the single- dosage form contains both coagulation factors, or in the form of a kit-of-parts comprising a pre- paration of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide as a first unit dosage form and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide as a second unit dosage form.
• a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is meant administration of the coagulation factor proteins in single-dosage form, or administration of a first coagulation factor protein followed by administration of a second coagulation factor protein with a time separation of no more than 15 minutes, preferably 10, more preferred 5, more preferred 2 minutes. Either factor may be administered first.
• thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin level
• level of thrombomodulin is meant the level of the patient's thrombomodulin activity compared to the level in healthy subjects. The level is designated as a percentage of the normal level. The terms may, where appropriate, be used interchangeably.
• reduced level of thrombomodulin or “reduced thrombomodulin level” is meant a decrease in the presence or activity of thrombomodulin in the blood stream compared to the mean thrombomodulin level in a population of subjects having no thrombomodulin deficiency or inhibitors to thrombomodulin.
• the level of circulating thrombomodulin can be measured by either a coagulant or an immunologic assay.
• Thrombomodulin activity is determined by the abil- ity of the patient's plasma to correct the clotting time of thrombomodulin-def icient plasma (e.g., an APTT assay, see below; see also “assay part” of the present description).
• One unit of thrombomodulin has been defined as the amount of thrombomodulin present in one millilitre of normal (pooled) human plasma (corresponding to a thrombomodulin level of 100 %).
• One unit of factor VII is defined as the amount of factor VII present in 1 ml of normal plasma, corresponding to about 0.5 ⁇ g protein. After activation 50 units correspond to about 1 ⁇ g protein.
• thrombomodulin in plasma compared to that of normal healthy individuals.
• the term may, where appropriate, be used interchangeably with “reduced thrombomodulin level”.
• APTT or "aPTT” is meant the activated partial thromboplastin time (described by, e.g., Proctor RR, Rapaport SI: The partial thromboplastin time with kaolin; a simple screening test for first-stage plasma clotting factor deficiencies. Am J Clin Pathol 36:212, 1961).
• thrombomodulin-responsive syndrome is meant a syndrome where exogenous thrombomodulin administered to the subject in need thereof may prevent, cure or ameliorate any symptoms, conditions or diseases, expected or present, caused by the syndrome. Included are, without limitation, syndromes caused by a reduced level of thrombomodulin, e.g., bleeding disorders caused by inhibitors to thrombomodulin. A thrombomodulin-responsive syndrome may also be treated with a composition according to the present invention.
• factor Vll-responsive syndrome is meant a syndrome where exogenous factor VII, preferably factor Vila, administered to the subject in need thereof may prevent, cure or ameliorate any symptoms, conditions or diseases, expected or present, caused by the syndrome.
• defective platelet function e.g., Glanzmann thombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome
• thrombocytopenia e.g., von Willebrand's disease
• coagulophathy e.g., coagulophathy
• Half-life refers to the time required for the plasma concentration of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, or thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide to decrease from a particular value to half of that value.
• primary haemostasis is meant the initial generation of thrombin by FXa and TF:factor Vila, the subsequent activation of platelets and formation of the initial loose plug of activated, adhered platelets which has not yet been stabilized by fibrin and, finally, by cross- linked fibrin. If not stabilized by the fibrin formed during the second step of the haemostatic process (maintained haemostasis), the plug is easily dissolved by the fibrinolytic system.
• second haemostasis or “maintained haemostasis” is meant the secondary, full, and major, burst or generation of thrombin taking place on the surface of activated platelets and catalysed by factor Villa and factor Villa, the subsequent formation of fibrin and the stabilization of the initial platelet plug. Stabilization of the plug by fibrin leads to full haemostasis.
• full haemostasis is meant the formation of a stable and solid fibrin clot or plug at the site of injury which effectively stops the bleeding and which is not readily dissolved by the fibrinolytic system.
• haemostasis will be used to represent full haemostasis as described above.
• the total amount of protein in a preparation may be measured by generally known methods, e.g, by measuring optical density.
• Amounts of thrombomodulin- or factor VII protein ("antigen") may be measured by generally known methods such as standard Elisa immuno assays. In general terms, such assay is conducted by contacting, e.g., a solution of the thrombomodulin protein- containing preparation with an anti-thromobomodulin antibody immobilised onto the elisa plate, subsequently contacting the immobilised antibody-thrombomodulin com- plex with a second anti-thrombomodulin antibody carrying a marker, the amounts of which, in a third step, are measured.
• the amounts of each coagulation factor may be measured in a similar way using appropriate antibodies.
• the total amount of coagulation factor protein present in a preparation is determined by adding the amounts of the individual coagulation factor proteins.
• the preparation comprises isolated coagulation factor.
• the preparation is essentially free of coagulation factor II and coagulation factor lla (prothrombin and thrombin) and/or factor X or Xa.
• isolated refers to coagulation factors, e.g., thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptides that have been separated from the cell in which they were synthesized or the medium in which they are found in nature (e.g., plasma or blood). Sepa- ration of polypeptides from their cell of origin may be achieved by any method known in the art, including, without limitation, removal of cell culture medium containing the desired product from an adherent cell culture; centrifugation or filtration to remove non-adherent cells; and the like.
• Separation of polypeptides from the medium in which they naturally occur may be achieved by any method known in the art, including, without limitation, affinity chromatography, such as, e.g., on an anti-factor VII or anti-thrombomodulin antibody column, respectively; hydrophobic interaction chromatography; ion-exchange chromatography; size exclusion chromatography; electrophoretic procedures (e.g., preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF)), differential solubility (e.g., ammonium sulfate precipitation), or extraction and the like.
• affinity chromatography such as, e.g., on an anti-factor VII or anti-thrombomodulin antibody column, respectively
• hydrophobic interaction chromatography e.g., ion-exchange chromatography
• size exclusion chromatography e.g., electrophoretic procedures (e.g., preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF)), differential solubility (e.g., ammonium sulfate precipitation), or extraction and
• an "effective amount" of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide is defined as the amount of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, e.g., FVIIa, and thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, that together suffices to prevent or reduce bleeding or blood loss, so as to cure, alleviate or partially arrest the disease and its complications.
• activity of factor Vila or "factor Vila-activity” includes the ability to generate thrombin; the term also includes the ability to generate thrombin on the surface of activated platelets in the absence of tissue factor.
• Human purified factor Vila suitable for use in the present invention is preferably made by DNA recombinant technology, e.g. as described by Hagen et al., Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci. USA 83: 2412- 2416, 1986, or as described in European Patent No. 200.421 (ZymoGenetics, Inc.).
• Factor VII may also be produced by the methods described by Broze and Majerus, J.Biol.Chem. 255 (4): 1242-1247, 1980 and Hedner and Kisiel, J.Clin.lnvest. 71: 1836-1841, 1983. These methods yield factor VII without detectable amounts of other blood coagulation factors.
• An even further purified factor VII preparation may be obtained by including an additional gel filtration as the final purification step, factor VII is then converted into activated factor Vila by known means, e.g. by several different plasma proteins, such as thrombomodulinla, IX a or Xa.
• factor VII may be activated by passing it through an ion-exchange chromatography column, such as Mono Q® (Pharmacia fine Chemicals) or the like.
• Factor VII -related polypeptides may produced by modification of wild-type factor VII or by recombinant technology, factor VII -related polypeptides with altered amino acid sequence when compared to wild-type factor VII may be produced by modifying the nucleic acid sequence encoding wild-type factor VII either by altering the amino acid codons or by removal of some of the amino acid codons in the nucleic acid encoding the natural factor VII by known means, e.g. by site-specific mutagenesis. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substitutions can be made outside the regions critical to the function of the factor Vila or thrombomodulin-molecule and still result in an active polypeptide.
• Amino acid residues essential to the activity of the factor VII or factor Vll- related polypeptide or thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, and therefore preferably not subject to substitution, may be identified according to procedures known in the art, such as site-directed mutagenesis or alanine-scanning mutagenesis (see, e.g., Cunningham and Wells, 1989, Science 244: 1081-1085). In the latter technique, mutations are introduced at every positively charged residue in the molecule, and the resultant mutant molecules are tested for coagulant, respectively cross-linking activity to identify amino acid residues that are critical to the activity of the molecule.
• Sites of substrate-enzyme interaction can also be determined by analysis of the three-dimensional structure as determined by such techniques as nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, crystallography or photoaffinity labelling (see, e.g., de Vos et al., 1992, Science 255: 306-312; Smith et al., 1992, Journal of Molecular Biology 224: 899-904; Wlodaver et al., 1992, FEBS Letters 309: 59-64).
• the introduction of a mutation into the nucleic acid sequence to exchange one nucleo- tide for another nucleotide may be accomplished by site-directed mutagenesis using any of the methods known in the art. Particularly useful is the procedure that utilizes a super coiled, double stranded DNA vector with an insert of interest and two synthetic primers containing the desired mutation.
• the oligonucleotide primers, each complementary to opposite strands of the vector, extend during temperature cycling by means of Pfu DNA polymerase. On incorporation of the primers, a mutated plasmid containing staggered nicks is generated.
• Dpnl is specific for methylated and hemi- methylated DNA to digest the parental DNA template and to select for mutation-containing synthesized DNA.
• Other procedures known in the art for creating, identifying and isolating variants may also be used, such as, for example, gene shuffling or phage display techniques. Separation of polypeptides from their cell of origin may be achieved by any method known in the art, including, without limitation, removal of cell culture medium containing the desired product from an adherent cell culture; centrifugation or filtration to remove non- adherent cells; and the like.
• factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptides may be further purified. Purification may be achieved using any method known in the art, including, without limitation, affin- ity chromatography, such as, e.g., on an anti-factor VII antibody column (see, e.g., Wakabayashi et al., J. Biol. Chem. 261 :11097, 1986; and Thim et al., Biochem.
• the preparation preferably contains less than about 10% by weight, more preferably less than about 5% and most preferably less than about 1 %, of non-factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptides derived from the host cell.
• Factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptides may be activated by proteolytic cleavage, using factor Xla or other proteases having trypsin-like specificity, such as, e.g., factor IXa, kallik- rein, factor Xa, and thrombin. See, e.g., Osterud et al., Biochem. 11 :2853 (1972); Thomas, U.S. Patent No. 4,456,591; and Hedner et al., J. Clin.
• factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptides may be activated by passing it through an ion-exchange chroma- tography column, such as Mono Q® (Pharmacia) or the like. The resulting activated factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide may then be formulated and administered as described below.
• Thrombomodulin for use within the present invention may be isolated from, e.g., placenta or lung, according to known methods; it is preferred, however, to use recombinant thrombomodulin so as to avoid to the use of blood- or tissue-derived products that carry a risk of dis- ease transmission.
• Thrombomodulin variants may be produced by means of site-directed mutagenesis as described above.
• Thrombomodulin -related polypeptides may produced by modification of wild-type thrombomodulin or by recombinant technology, thrombomodulin -related polypeptides with altered amino acid sequence when compared to wild-type thrombomodulin may be produced by modifying the nucleic acid sequence encoding wild-type thrombomodulin either by altering the amino acid codons or by removal of some of the amino acid codons in the nucleic acid encoding the natural thrombomodulin by known means, e.g. by site-specific mutagenesis, as described in more detail above.
• Separation of polypeptides from their cell of origin may be achieved by any method known in the art, including, without limitation, removal of cell culture medium contain- ing the desired product from an adherent cell culture; centrifugation or filtration to remove non-adherent cells; and the like.
• thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptides may be further purified.
• Purification may be achieved using any method known in the art, including, without limitation, affinity chromatography, such as, e.g., on an anti- thrombomodulin antibody column; hydrophobic interaction chromatography; ion-exchange chromatography; size exclusion chromatography; electrophoretic procedures (e.g., preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF), differential solubility (e.g., ammonium sulfate precipitation), or extraction and the like, as described in more detail above.
• the preparation preferably contains less than about 10% by weight, more preferably less than about 5% and most preferably less than about 1 %, of non-thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptides derived from the host cell.
• the resulting activated thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide may then be formulated and administered as described below.
• thrombomodulin polypeptides and Factor VII polypeptides syngeneic syngeneic with the subject in order to reduce the risk of inducing an immune response.
• Preparation and characterization of non-human thrombomodulin has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 09268200 and Esmon et al., J Biol Chem 257:859, 1982, Suzuki et al., Biochim Biophys Acta 882:343, 1986.
• the present invention also encompasses the use of such thrombomodulin polypeptides and factor VII polypeptides within veterinary procedures.
• the preparations of the present invention may be used to treat any factor VII responsive syndrome, such as, e.g., bleeding disorders, including, without limitation, syndromes caused by a reduced level of clotting factors VIII, IX, XI or VII, clotting factor inhibitors, defective platelet function (e.g., Glanzmann thombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome), thrombocytopenia, von Willebrand's disease, and coagulophathy such as that caused by a dilution of coagulation proteins, increased fibrinolysis and lowered number of platelets due to bleedings and/or transfusions (e.g., in multi transfused subjects having been subjected to surgery or trauma).
• factor VII responsive syndrome such as, e.g., bleeding disorders, including, without limitation, syndromes caused by a reduced level of clotting factors VIII, IX, XI or VII, clotting factor inhibitors, defective platelet function (e.g., Glanzmann thombasthenia and
• compositions comprising a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide according to the present invention are primarily intended for parenteral administration for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment.
• the pharmaceutical compositions are administered parenterally, i.e., intravenously, subcutaneously, or intramuscularly; intravenously being most preferred. They may also be administered by continuous or pulsatile infusion.
• Pharmaceutical compositions or formulations according to the invention comprise a factor
• compositions suitable for use according to the present invention is made by mixing factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, or a thrombomodulin, or factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide in combination with a thrombomodulin, preferably in purified form, with suitable adjuvants and a suitable carrier or diluent.
• aqueous carriers such as water, buffered water, 0.4% saline, 0.3% glycine and the like.
• the preparations of the invention can also be formulated using non-aqueous carriers, such as, e.g., in the form of a gel or as liposome preparations for delivery or targeting to the sites of injury. Liposome preparations are generally described in, e.g., U.S. Patents Nos. 4,837,028, 4,501,728, and 4,975,282.
• the compositions may be sterilised by conventional, well-known sterilisation techniques.
• the resulting aqueous solutions may be packaged for use or filtered under aseptic conditions and lyophilised, the lyophilised preparation being combined with a sterile aqueous solution prior to administration.
• compositions may contain pharmaceutically acceptable auxiliary substances or adjuvants, including, without limitation, pH adjusting and buffering agents and/or tonicity adjusting agents, such as, for example, sodium acetate, sodium lactate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, etc.
• pH adjusting and buffering agents and/or tonicity adjusting agents such as, for example, sodium acetate, sodium lactate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, etc.
• Formulations may further include one or more diluents, emulsifiers, preservatives, buffers, excipients, etc. and may be provided in such forms as liquids, powders, emulsions, controlled release, etc.
• diluents such as those disclosed in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences. Gennaro, ed., Mack Publishing Co., Easton, PA, 1990.
• a typical pharmaceutical composition for intravenous infusion could be made up to contain 250 ml of sterile Ringer's solution and 10 mg of the preparation.
• the compositions containing the preparations of the present invention can be administered for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatments.
• compositions are administered to a subject already suffering from a disease, as described above, in an amount sufficient to cure, alleviate or partially arrest the clinical manifestations of the disease and its complications.
• An amount adequate to accomplish this is defined as "therapeutically effective amount”. Effective amounts for each purpose will depend on the severity of the disease or injury as well as the weight and general state of the subject. It will be understood that determining an appropriate dosage may be achieved using routine experimentation, by constructing a matrix of values and testing different points in the matrix.
• Local delivery of the preparations of the present invention may be carried out, e.g., by means of a spray, perfusion, double balloon catheters, stent, incorporated into vascular grafts or stents, hydrogels used to coat balloon catheters, or other well established methods.
• the pharmaceutical compositions should provide a quantity of the preparation sufficient to effectively treat the condition.
• the concentration of factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide, thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide, or factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide in combination with thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide in these formulations can vary widely, i.e., from less than about 0.5% by weight, usually at or at least about 1 % by weight to as much as 15 or 20% by weight and will be selected primarily by fluid volumes, viscosities, etc., in accordance with the particular mode of administration selected. Administration by injection or infusion, in particular injection, is preferred.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide are prepared in a form suitable for intravenous administration, such as a preparation that is either a dissolved lyophilized powder or a liquid formulation containing both the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide in one dosage form, or a dissolved lyophilized powder or a liquid formulation containing the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide in one dosage form and dissolved lyophilized powder or a liquid formulation containing the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide in another dosage form.
• the amount of factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the amount of thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide together comprise an aggregate effective amount for treating the bleeding episode.
• the materials of the present invention may generally be employed in serious disease or injury states, that is, life threatening or potentially life threatening situations. In such cases, in view of the minimization of extraneous substances and general lack of immunogenicity of factor Vila and thrombomodulin in humans, it is possible and may be felt desirable by the treating physician to administer a substantial excess of these compositions.
• compositions containing a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin- related polypeptide are administered to a subject susceptible to or otherwise at risk of a disease state or injury to enhance the subject's own coagulative capability. Such an amount is defined to be a "prophylactically effective dose.” It is to be understood that the amount of factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the amount of thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide together comprise an aggregate effective amount for preventing a bleeding episode. Single or multiple administrations of the compositions can be carried out with dose levels and patterns being selected by the treating physician. The compositions may be administered one or more times per day or week. An effective amount of such a pharmaceutical composition is the amount that provides a clinically significant effect against bleeding episodes. Such amounts will depend, in part, on the particular condition to be treated, age, weight, and general health of the subject, and other factors evident to those skilled in the art.
• composition of the invention is generally administered in a single dose before the expected bleeding or at the start of the bleeding. It may however also be given repeatedly (in multiple doses) preferably with intervals of 2-4-6-12 hour, depending on the dose given and the condition of the subject.
• the factor VII or factor Vll- related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide will typically be administered within about 24 hours prior to performing the intervention, and for as much as 7 days or more thereafter.
• Administration as a coagulant can be by a variety of routes as described herein.
• the composition may be in the form of a single preparation (single-dosage form) comprising both a preparation of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a preparation of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide in suitable concentrations.
• the composition may also be in the form of a kit-of-parts consisting of a first unit dosage form comprising a preparation of a preparation of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and a second unit dosage form comprising a preparation of a preparation of thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide.
• the factor VII or factor VII- related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide should be administered one after the other, preferably within about 15 minutes of each other, for example within 10 minutes of each other or, preferably, within 5 minutes or, more preferred, within 2 minutes of each other. Either of the two unit dosage forms can be administered first.
• the kit includes at least two separate pharmaceutical compositions.
• the kit includes container means for containing the separate compositions such as a divided bottle or a divided foil packet.
• the kit includes directions for the administration of the separate components.
• the kit form is particularly advantageous when the separate components are preferably administered in different dosage forms, are administered at different dosage intervals, or when titration of the individual components of the combination is desired by the prescribing physician.
• the amount of factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the amount of thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide administered according to the present invention may vary from a ratio of between about 1 :100 to about 100:1 (w/w).
• the ratio of factor VII to thrombomodulin may thus be, e.g., about 1:100, or 1:90, or 1:80, or 1:70 or 1:60, or 1:50, or 1:40, or 1:30, or 1 :20, or 1 :10, or 1:5, or 1 :2, or 1:1, or 2:1, or 5:1, or 10:1, or 20:1, or 30.1, or 40:1, or 50:1, or 60:1, or 70:1, or 80:1, or 90:1, or 100:1; or between about 1:90 to about 1:1, or between about 1:80 to about 1:2, or between about 1:70 to about 1 :5, or between about 1:60 to about 1:10, or between about 1:50 to about 1:25, or between about 1:40 to about 1 :30, or between about 90:1 to about 1:1, or between about 80:1 to about 2:1, or between about 70:1 to about 5:1, or between about 60:1 to about 10:1, or between about 50:1 to about 25:1, or between about 40:
• the dose of the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide ranges from what corresponds to about 0.05 mg to about 500 mg/day of wild-type factor VII, e.g., from about 1 mg to about 200 mg/day, or, e.g., from about 5 mg to about 175 mg/day for a 70-kg subject as loading and maintenance doses, depending on the weight of the subject, the condition and the severity of the condition.
• the dose of the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide ranges from what corresponds to about 0.05 mg to about 500 mg/day of wild-type thrombomodulin, e.g., from about 1 mg to about 200 mg/day, or, e.g., from about 1 mg to about 175 mg/day for a 70- kg subject as loading and maintenance doses, depending on the weight of the subject, the condition and the severity of the condition.
• the combination of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide shows a synergistic effect in an in vitro clot firmness- and fibrinolysis time-assay. Moreover, the combination of factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide shows a synergistic effect in forming stable fibrin clots, increasing the half-clot lysis time, increasing clot strength and increasing resistance to fibrinolysis.
• the composition may be in the form of a single preparation comprising both factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide and thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide in suitable concentrations.
• the composition may also be in the form of a kit consisting of a first unit dosage form comprising factor VII or a factor Vll-related polypeptide, and a second unit dosage form comprising thrombomodulin or a thrombomodulin-related polypeptide.
• the factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptide and the thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptide should be administered sequentially, preferably within about 1-2 hours of each other, for example within 30 minutes of each other or, preferably, within 10 minutes or, more preferred, within 5 minutes of each other. Either of the two unit dosage forms can be administered first.
• the present invention relates to the prevention or treatment of bleeding episodes or for coagulative treatment by treatment with a combination of active ingredients that may be administered separately
• the invention also relates to combining separate pharmaceutical compositions in kit form.
• the kit includes at least two separate pharmaceutical compositions.
• the kit includes container means for containing the separate compositions such as a divided bottle or a divided foil packet.
• the kit includes directions for the administration of the separate components.
• the kit form is particularly advantageous when the separate components are preferably administered in different dosage forms, are administered at different dosage intervals, or when titration of the individual components of the combination is desired by the prescribing physician
• a suitable assay for testing for factor Vila activity and thereby selecting suitable factor Vila variants can be performed as a simple preliminary in vitro test:
• Native (wild-type) factor Vila and factor Vila variant may be assayed for specific activities. They may also be assayed in parallel to directly compare their specific activities.
• the assay is carried out in a microtiter plate (MaxiSorp, Nunc, Denmark).
• factor Vila variants with an activity comparable to or higher than native factor Vila may be identified, such as, for example, variants where the ratio between the activity of the variant and the activity of native factor VII (wild-type FVII) is around, versus above 1.0.
• factor Vila or factor Vila variants may also be measured using a physiological substrate such as factor X, suitably at a concentration of 100-1000 nM, where the factor Xa generated is measured after the addition of a suitable chromogenic substrate (eg. S-2765).
• a suitable chromogenic substrate eg. S-2765
• the activity assay may be run at physiological temperature.
• factor Vila Native (wild-type) factor Vila and factor Vila variant (both hereafter referred to as "factor Vila") are assayed in parallel to directly compare their specific activities.
• the assay is carried out in a microtiter plate (MaxiSorp, Nunc, Denmark), factor Vila (10 nM) and factor X (0.8 mi- croM) in 100 microL 50 mM Hepes, pH 7.4, containing 0.1 M NaCl, 5 mM CaCl2 and 1 mg/ml bo- vine serum albumin, are incubated for 15 min.
• factor X cleavage is then stopped by the addition of 50 microL 50 mM Hepes, pH 7.4, containing 0.1 M NaCl, 20 mM EDTA and 1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin.
• the amount of factor Xa generated is measured by addition of the chromogenic substrate Z-D-Arg-Gly-Arg-p-nitroanilide (S-2765, Chromogenix, Sweden), final concentration 0.5 mM.
• the absorbance at 405 nm is measured continuously in a SpectraMaxTM 340 plate reader (Molecular Devices, USA).
• Ratio (A405 nm factor Vila variant)/(A405 nm factor Vila wild-type).
• factor Vila variants with an activity comparable to or higher than native factor Vila may be identified, such as, for example, variants where the ratio between the activity of the variant and the activity of native factor VII (wild-type FVII) is around, versus above 1.0.
• factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptides or thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptides e.g., variants
• thrombin The ability of factor VII or factor Vll-related polypeptides or thrombomodulin or thrombomodulin-related polypeptides (e.g., variants) to generate thrombin can be measured in an assay comprising all relevant coagulation factors and inhibitors at physiological concentrations and activated platelets (as described on p. 543 in Monroe et al. (1997) Brit. J. Haematol. 99, 542-547 which is hereby incorporated as reference).
• Suitable assays for testing for thrombomodulin activity can be performed as simple in vitro tests as described, for example, in Nakashima et al., J Clin Pharmacol 38: 540, 1998. (the "thrombomodulin assay")
• TM may be purchased from commercial suppliers, such as, e.g., American Diagnostica
• RESULTS Clot lysis assay: Normal human plasma diluted 10-fold with buffer (20 mM HEPES, 150 mM NaCl, 5 mM CaCI, pH 7.4) containing Innovin (Dade Behring, 2000-fold dilution), rFVIIa (Novo Nordisk A/S Bagsvaerd, Denmark, various concentrations) and t-PA (American Diagnostica, 8 nM) was added to 96-well ELISA plates and turbidity at 650 nm was measured over time at room temperature. Where indicated, human thrombomodulin (American Diagnostica, various concentrations) was included.
• Clot lysis assay Addition of FVIIa results in a dose-dependent prolongation of the clot lysis time (Fig. 1). This effect was optimal at 10 nM FVIIa. In the presence of 10 nM FVIIa, addition of thrombomodulin resulted in a further prolongation of the clot lysis time (Fig. 2). The effect was dose-dependent and optimal at 10 nM thrombomodulin.

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