GB614990A - A method of producing a derivative of the blood-sugar decreasing hormone, and the insulin derivative thereby produced - Google Patents

Abstract

A derivative of the blood-sugar decreasing hormone is obtained by treating it with reagents, which similarly to isocyanates, will attack amino-groups in such a manner that a hydrogen atom, or hydrogen atoms in these groups are substituted, care being taken in the choice of the usual reaction conditions such as time, temperature and concentration of the components employed in the reaction, that the reaction proceeds only to a point at which the hormone maintains its entire, or an essential part, of its blood-sugar decreasing effect, but of altered character so that the effect in the diabetic organism is extended over a longer period of time. Preferably, the reaction is carried out in a homogeneous system, e.g. acetone-water mixture. The final point of the reaction is found by biological experiments to occur at 1-30 X 10-3 m Mol. titratable amino groups per m Mol. total-N in the blood-sugar decreasing hormone and may also be determined titrimetrically. Examples illustrate the use of benzoyl chloride, the benzyl ester of chloroformic acid and acetic anhydride as reagents which attack amino groups whilst additional reagents specified are acyl chlorides, acyl anhydrides, ketenes, alkyl halogens, aldehydes and ketones and xanthydrol. Specification 604,327 is referred to.