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The invention provides biologically active erythropoietin (EPO) conjugate compositions wherein a transglutaminase reaction is employed to covalently and site specifically conjugate the EPO molecule to a non-antigenic hydrophilic polymer that can also be covalently linked to an organic molecule eithe

The invention provides biologically active erythropoietin (EPO) conjugate compositions wherein a transglutaminase reaction is employed to covalently and site specifically conjugate the EPO molecule to a non-antigenic hydrophilic polymer that can also be covalently linked to an organic molecule either of which modification increases the circulating serum half-life of the composition.

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What is claimed is: 1. An erythropoietic conjugate having the biological properties of causing bone marrow cells to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells, comprising a moiety of the formula: EPO-[Gln-A-X-(M)n]y where EPO is erythropoietin or its pharmaceutical acceptable deri

What is claimed is: 1. An erythropoietic conjugate having the biological properties of causing bone marrow cells to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells, comprising a moiety of the formula: EPO-[Gln-A-X-(M)n]y where EPO is erythropoietin or its pharmaceutical acceptable derivatives having biological properties of causing bone marrow cells to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells; Gln is a glutamine residue selected from one or more glutamine residues within the primary sequence of EPO; y is an integer from 1 to 7 indicating the number of modified glutamine residues; A is an amine donor moiety, wherein the linkage between the glutamine residue and the amine donor moiety is of the formula--CH2--CO--NH--where the gamma carboxamide group of the peptide bound glutamine residue is the acyl donor and the--NH-moiety is from the amine donor; X is an optional hydrophilic polymer moiety; M is an optional organic molecule characterized in that it is capable of increasing the circulating half-life of the EPO molecule; and n is an integer from 0 to 15, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts or esters thereof. 2. The erythropoietic conjugates of claim 1 that cause bone marrow cells to increase production of red blood cells, and said increase is sustained after administration of said erythropoietin conjugate for a greater period of time than that seen after administration of unconjugated erythropoietin. 3. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 2, where the sustained effect is due to increased serum half life over unmodified mammalian erythropoietin. 4. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 1 wherein M is one to about six organic moieties, which are each independently selected from a fatty acid group, a fatty acid ester group, a lipid or a phospholipid. 5. The erythropoietin conjugate of claim 1 wherein the hydrophilic polymer is a polyalkylene oxide. 6. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 1, wherein said erythropoietin or erythropoietic moiety is selected from recombinant and non-recombinant mammalian erythropoietin. 7. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 5, wherein the polyalkylene oxide is a substituted polyethylene oxide. 8. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 5, wherein the polyalkylene oxide is selected from polyethylene glycol homopolymers, polypropylene glycol homopolymers, alkyl-polyethylene oxides, bispolyethylene oxides and co-polymers or block co-polymers of polyalkyene oxides. 9. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 1 wherein said hydrophilic polymer is bonded to from one to seven of GLN 58, GLN 59, GLN65, GLN78, GLN 86, GLN92, GLN115 of the mature chain EPO. 10. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 5, wherein said polyalkylene oxide is a polyethylene glycol homopolymer having a molecular weight of between about 200 and about 100,000 Daltons. 11. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 1 wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyalkane glycol chain, a carbohydrate chain, an amino acid chain or a polyvinyl pyrrolidone chain, and wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group has a molecular weight of about 800 to about 120,000 Daltons. 12. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 11 wherein said hydrophobic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyalkane glycol chain with a molecular weight greater than 2,000 Daltons. 13. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 11 wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyethylene glycol chain or a linear or branched substituted polyethylene glycol chain, n is an integer other than O and the organic moiety is selected from an alkyl group, a C6-40 fatty acid group, a C6-40 fatty acid ester group, a lipid group and a phospholipid group. 14. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 11 wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyethylene glycol chain that is terminally substituted with an organic moiety selected from an allkyl group, a C6-40 fatty acid group, a C6-40 fatty acid ester group, a lipid group or a phospholipid group. 15. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 13 wherein said organic moiety is palmitoyl. 16. The erythropoietic conjugate of claim 13 wherein the organic moiety is disteroylphosphatidyl ethanolamine (DSPE). 17. The erythropoetic conjugate of claim 13 wherein the hydrophilic polymer-organic moiety is covalently bonded to from one to seven of GLN 58, GLN59, GLN65, GLN78, GLN 86, GLN92, GLN 115 of the mature chain EPO. 18. The conjugate of claim 1 where A is an amine donor transglutaminase substrate, X is PEG or other water soluble polymer and is optional, and M is a biotin, dansyl, or other organic moiety imparting biophysical characteristics to EPO that are useful for research, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. 19. A method of preparing an EPO conjugate having erythropoietic activity of the formula: EPO-[Gln-A-X-(M)n]y where EPO is erythropoietin or its pharmaceutical acceptable derivatives having biological properties of causing bone marrow cells to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells; Gln is a glutamine residue selected from one or more glutamine residues within the primary sequence of EPO; y is an integer from 1 to 7 indicating the number of modified glutamine residues; A is an amine donor moiety, wherein the linkage between the glutamine residue and the amine donor moiety is of the formula--CH2--CO--NH--where the gamma carboxamide group of the peptide bound glutamine residue is the acyl donor and the--NH-moiety is from the amine donor; X is a hydrophilic polymer moiety; M is an organic molecule characterized in that it has the capability of increasing the circulating half-life of the EPO molecule; and n is an integer from 0 to 15, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts or esters thereof; comprising contacting an erythropoetic or an erytliropoetic protein having a water accessible glutamine residue with a preconstructed hydrophilic polymer-organic moiety complex of the formula A-X(M)n , capable of acting as a transglutaminase substrate in the presence of transglutaminase under conditions such that an EPO-polymer-organic moiety conjugate is formed. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said polymer is a polyalkylene oxide. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said polyalkylene oxide is an alpha-substituted polyalkylene oxide. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said polyalkylene oxide is a polyethylene glycol. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the transglutaminase is a mammalian protein. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein the transglutaminase is a bacterial protein. 25. The method of claim 19, wherein the transglutaminase is a prokaryotic protein. 26. The method of claim 19 where A is an amine donor transglutaminase (TGase) substrate, X is PEG or other water soluble polymer, and M is biotin, dansyl, or other moiety imparting biophysical characteristics to EPO that are useful for research, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. 27. A method of treating anemia comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of conjugate of claim 1. 28. The method of claim 27 wherein said conjugate is characterized by increased serum half-life-compared to the unconjugated erythropoietin. 29. An erythropoietic protein or protein conjugate containing recombinant or non-recombinant mammalian erythropoietin in which any or all of the residues GLN 58, GLN59, GLN65, GLN78, GLN86, GLN92 and GLN115 have been modified by recombinant, enzymatic or chemical means to modify the TGase substrate properties and thereby increase the circulation half life or otherwise alter the biological activity of said erythropoietic protein. 30. An erythropoietic protein or protein conjugate of claim 29 wherein one or more of said glutamine residues are chemically modified, eliminated or changed to another amino acid such that the ability of the glutamine residue to act as a TGase substrate is increased, decreased or eliminated. 31. The erythropoietin conjugate of claim 1 wherein the amine donor A contains a second functional group that allows for the conjugation by chemical means of the polymer X and/or the organic moiety M to said second functional group. 32. The erythropoietin conjugate of claim 31 wherein the second functional group is a thiol, aldehyde, hydrazide, maleimide or cysteine group.