BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE TWO-COMPONENT COMPLEXES

1364987 Nucleotide complexes MERCK PATENT GmbH 5 June 1972 [19 June 1971 14 April 1972] 26060/72 Heading C2P [Also in Divisions A5 and C3] Two-component complexes, capable of inducing the formation of interferon in vertebrate animals, comprise (A) a mono- or poly-riboinosinic acid of Formula I: in which R1 is wherein k is 1 to 3 and b is from 1 to 2000, or a metal or ammonium salt thereof, and (B) a mono- or polyribo-2-thiocytidylic acid of Formula III: in which R2 is wherein m is 1 to 3 and n is from 1 to 2000, or a metal or ammonium salt thereof. The preferred complexes have k = m = 1, and b and/or n is greater than 100. The complexes may be prepared by admixing solutions of the homopolynucleotides of Formulae I and III. Alternatively, one of the homopolynucleotides may be formed in a solution of the other. Example 3 discloses a preparation of the two-component complex involving (essentially) the incubation at 37‹ C. for four hours of a mixture containing polynucleotide phosphorylase, disodium-2-thiocytidine-51-diphosphate and component A. Example 4 discloses the preparation of the complex from polyribo-2,4-dithiouridylic acid and component A.