Binding agents which inhibit myostatin

The present invention provides binding agents which include peptides capable of binding myostatin and inhibiting its activity.

In one embodiment, the binding agent comprises at least one myostatin binding peptide linked directly or indirectly to at least one vehicle such as a polymer or an Fc domain. The binding agents of the present invention produced increased pure muscle mass when administered to animals and reduced the fat ratio to muscle. Therapeutic compositions containing the binding agents of the present invention are useful pretreatment of muscle wasting disorders and other metabolic disorders, including diabetes and obesity.

<img file="NO20053545A_D0001.tif" />