# Non-Immunogenic PEG-like Conjugates of Uricase

> **NIH NIH R41** · GATEWAY BIO, INC. · 2020 · $288,472

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Covalent conjugation of therapeutic peptides and proteins with the “stealth” polymer
poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), termed PEGylation, is a widely used approach to increase
the circulation half-life and stability of “biologics” —peptide, protein and oligonucleotide
drugs— and to reduce their immunogenicity. However, recent studies show that PEG is
itself immunogenic, as anti-PEG antibodies have been induced in patients treated with
some PEGylated drugs, and circulating anti-PEG antibodies have also been found in
individuals naïve to PEGylated therapeutics, possibly induced by chronic exposure to
PEGs present in consumer products. Motivated by this compelling clinical need and
commercial opportunity, the overall objective of this STTR proposal is to develop biologic
conjugates of a novel PEG-like polymer — poly(oligoethyene glycol methyl
methacrylate) (POEGMA), wherein the PEG chain is distributed as short oligoethylene
glycol (OEG) oligomers along a polymer backbone (Fig. 1) — to eliminate PEG's
immunogenicity while preserving its ability to prolong plasma half life. The outcome of
this project, if successful, will be the identification of a POEGMA conjugate with the
same or better activity as the linear PEG conjugate, but with minimal PEG antigenicity
and reduced overall immunogenicity, thereby providing a next-generation technology
that is superior to PEGylation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10010986
- **Project number:** 1R41TR003255-01
- **Recipient organization:** GATEWAY BIO, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Angus Hucknall
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $288,472
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-16 → 2022-07-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10010986

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10010986, Non-Immunogenic PEG-like Conjugates of Uricase (1R41TR003255-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10010986. Licensed CC0.

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