Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
  • C07K14/705—Receptors; Cell surface antigens; Cell surface determinants
  • C07K14/70578—NGF-receptor/TNF-receptor superfamily, e.g. CD27, CD30, CD40, CD95
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
  • A61K38/04—Peptides having up to 20 amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof
  • A61K38/12—Cyclic peptides, e.g. bacitracins; Polymyxins; Gramicidins S, C; Tyrocidins A, B or C
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K47/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient
  • A61K47/50—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient the non-active ingredient being chemically bound to the active ingredient, e.g. polymer-drug conjugates
  • A61K47/51—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient the non-active ingredient being chemically bound to the active ingredient, e.g. polymer-drug conjugates the non-active ingredient being a modifying agent
  • A61K47/62—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient the non-active ingredient being chemically bound to the active ingredient, e.g. polymer-drug conjugates the non-active ingredient being a modifying agent the modifying agent being a protein, peptide or polyamino acid
  • A61K47/64—Drug-peptide, drug-protein or drug-polyamino acid conjugates, i.e. the modifying agent being a peptide, protein or polyamino acid which is covalently bonded or complexed to a therapeutically active agent
  • A61K47/641—Branched, dendritic or hypercomb peptides
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K9/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by special physical form
  • A61K9/0012—Galenical forms characterised by the site of application
  • A61K9/0019—Injectable compositions; Intramuscular, intravenous, arterial, subcutaneous administration; Compositions to be administered through the skin in an invasive manner
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P35/00—Antineoplastic agents
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K11/00—Depsipeptides having up to 20 amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K11/02—Depsipeptides having up to 20 amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof cyclic, e.g. valinomycins ; Derivatives thereof
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K14/001—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof by chemical synthesis
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
  • C07K14/78—Connective tissue peptides, e.g. collagen, elastin, laminin, fibronectin, vitronectin or cold insoluble globulin [CIG]
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K7/00—Peptides having 5 to 20 amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K7/04—Linear peptides containing only normal peptide links
  • C07K7/08—Linear peptides containing only normal peptide links having 12 to 20 amino acids
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K2319/00—Fusion polypeptide

Definitions

• the present invention relates to polypeptides which are covalently bound to non-aromatic molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold.
• the invention describes peptides which are high affinity binders of the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase A2 (EphA2).
• EphA2 Eph receptor tyrosine kinase A2
• the invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said peptide ligands and to the use of said peptide ligands in preventing, suppressing or treating a disease or disorder characterised by overexpression of EphA2 in diseased tissue (such as a tumour).
• Cyclic peptides are able to bind with high affinity and target specificity to protein targets and hence are an attractive molecule class for the development of therapeutics.
• several cyclic peptides are already successfully used in the clinic, as for example the antibacterial peptide vancomycin, the immunosuppressant drug cyclosporine or the anti-cancer drug octreotide (Driggers etal. (2008), Nat Rev Drug Discov 7 (7), 608-24).
• Good binding properties result from a relatively large interaction surface formed between the peptide and the target as well as the reduced conformational flexibility of the cyclic structures.
• macrocycles bind to surfaces of several hundred square angstrom, as for example the cyclic peptide CXCR4 antagonist CVX15 (400 A 2 ; Wu et al. (2007), Science 330, 1066-71), a cyclic peptide with the Arg-Gly-Asp motif binding to integrin aVb3 (355 A 2 ) (Xiong et al. (2002), Science 296 (5565), 151-5) or the cyclic peptide inhibitor upain-1 binding to urokinase-type plasminogen activator (603 A 2 ; Zhao et al. (2007), J Struct Biol 160 (1), 1-10).
• CVX15 400 A 2 ; Wu et al. (2007), Science 330, 1066-71
• a cyclic peptide with the Arg-Gly-Asp motif binding to integrin aVb3 355 A 2
• peptide macrocycles are less flexible than linear peptides, leading to a smaller loss of entropy upon binding to targets and resulting in a higher binding affinity.
• the reduced flexibility also leads to locking target-specific conformations, increasing binding specificity compared to linear peptides.
• MMP-8 matrix metalloproteinase 8
• the favorable binding properties achieved through macrocyclization are even more pronounced in multicyclic peptides having more than one peptide ring as for example in vancomycin, nisin and actinomycin.
• Phage display-based combinatorial approaches have been developed to generate and screen large libraries of bicyclic peptides to targets of interest (Heinis et al. (2009), Nat Chem Biol 5 (7), 502-7 and WO 2009/098450). Briefly, combinatorial libraries of linear peptides containing three cysteine residues and two regions of six random amino acids (Cys-(Xaa) 6 -Cys-(Xaa) 6 - Cys) were displayed on phage and cyclised by covalently linking the cysteine side chains to a small molecule (tris-(bromomethyl)benzene).
• a peptide ligand specific for EphA2 comprising a polypeptide comprising at least three reactive groups, separated by at least two loop sequences, and a molecular scaffold, which is 1 ,T, 1"-(1 ,3,5-triazinane-1 ,3,5- triyl)triprop-2-en-1-one, which forms covalent bonds with the reactive groups of the polypeptide such that at least two polypeptide loops are formed on the molecular scaffold, wherein the peptide ligand comprises an amino acid sequence selected from:
• Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiLEP[dD]WTCiii-[dA] (SEQ ID NO: 19; herein referred to as
• AD-Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiLEP[dD]WTCiii SEQ ID NO: 23; herein referred to as
• Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiL[3,3-DPA]P[dD]WTCiii SEQ ID NO: 25; herein referred to as
• BCY12859 A-[HArg]-D-Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiL[3,3-DPA]P[dD]WTCiii (SEQ ID NO: 26; herein referred to as BCY12859); Ac-Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiL[3,3-DPA]P[dD]WTCiii-[dK] (SEQ ID NO: 27; herein referred to as BCY13120);
• Ci[HyP][Cba]VNPLCiiL[3,3-DPA]P[dD]WTCiii-[dA] (SEQ ID NO: 31 ; herein referred to as BCY12865);
• PYA 4-pentynoic acid
• 3,3-DPA 3,3-diphenylalanine
• Cba b-cyclobutylalanine
• 1 Nal represents 1-naphthylalanine
• NMeAla N-methyl-alanine
• HisI Me represents N1-methyl-L-histidine
• His3Me represents N3-methyl- L-histidine
• 4ThiAz represents beta-(4-thiazolyl)-alanine
• Thi 2-thienyl-alanine
• 3Thi 3-thienylalanine
• Palmitoyl-Glu-LysN 3 represents N2-((S)-4-carboxy-4- palmitamidobutanoyl)-N6-diazo-L-lysine:
• composition comprising a peptide ligand as defined herein in combination with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.
• a peptide ligand as defined herein for use in preventing, suppressing or treating cancer.
• a peptide ligand specific for EphA2 comprising a polypeptide comprising at least three reactive groups, separated by at least two loop sequences, and a molecular scaffold, which is 1 ,T,1"-(1 ,3,5-triazinane-1 ,3,5- triyl)triprop-2-en-1-one, which forms covalent bonds with the reactive groups of the polypeptide such that at least two polypeptide loops are formed on the molecular scaffold, wherein the peptide ligand comprises an amino acid sequence selected from:
• Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiLEP[dD]WTCiii-[dA] (SEQ ID NO: 19; herein referred to as
• BCY12861 [NMeAla]-[HArg]-D-Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiLEP[dD]WTCiii (SEQ ID NO: 20; herein referred to as BCY13122);
• AD-Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiLEP[dD]WTCiii SEQ ID NO: 23; herein referred to as
• Ci[HyP]LVNPLCiiL[3,3-DPA]P[dD]WTCiii SEQ ID NO: 25; herein referred to as
• Ci[HyP][Cba]VNPLCiiL[3,3-DPA]P[dD]WTCiii-[dA] (SEQ ID NO: 31 ; herein referred to as BCY12865);
• PYA 4-pentynoic acid
• 3,3-DPA 3,3-diphenylalanine
• Cba b-cyclobutylalanine
• 1 Nal represents 1-naphthylalanine
• NMeAla N-methyl-alanine
• HisI Me represents N1-methyl-L-histidine
• His3Me represents N3-methyl- L-histidine
• 4ThiAz represents beta-(4-thiazolyl)-alanine
• Thi 2-thienyl-alanine
• 3Thi 3-thienylalanine
• Palmitoyl-Glu-LysN 3 represents N2-((S)-4-carboxy-4- pal ita idobutanoyl)-N6-diazo-L-lysine:
• the EphA2 binding bicyclic peptide ligand is selected from: BCY131 18, BCY12860, BCY12859, BCY131 19, BCY13917, BCY13918, BCY13919, BCY13920, BCY13922, BCY13923, BCY14047, BCY14048, BCY13135, BCY12865, BCY13120 and BCY131 17.
• the EphA2 binding bicyclic peptide ligand is BCY131 18 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
• cysteine residues (C,, CM and C m ) are omitted from the numbering as they are invariant, therefore, the numbering of amino acid residues within SEQ ID NO: 1 is referred to as below:
• N- or C-terminal extensions to the bicycle core sequence are added to the left or right side of the sequence, separated by a hyphen.
• an N-terminal bAIq-bqM 0-Ala tail would be denoted as:
• amino acid is intended to be represented as a D-amino acid then the amino acid will be prefaced with a lower case d within square parentheses, for example [dA], [dD], [dE], [dK], [d1 Nal], [dNIe], etc.
• Certain bicyclic peptides of the present invention have a number of advantageous properties which enable them to be considered as suitable drug-like molecules for injection, inhalation, nasal, ocular, oral or topical administration.
• Such advantageous properties include:
• Bicyclic peptide ligands should in most circumstances demonstrate stability to plasma proteases, epithelial ("membrane-anchored") proteases, gastric and intestinal proteases, lung surface proteases, intracellular proteases and the like. Protease stability should be maintained between different species such that a bicyclic peptide lead candidate can be developed in animal models as well as administered with confidence to humans;
• Desirable solubility profile This is a function of the proportion of charged and hydrophilic versus hydrophobic residues and intra/inter-molecular H-bonding, which is important for formulation and absorption purposes;
• An optimal plasma half-life in the circulation Depending upon the clinical indication and treatment regimen, it may be required to develop a bicyclic peptide with short or prolonged in vivo exposure times for the management of either chronic or acute disease states.
• the optimal exposure time will be governed by the requirement for sustained exposure (for maximal therapeutic efficiency) versus the requirement for short exposure times to minimise toxicological effects arising from sustained exposure to the agent;
• Certain peptide ligands of the invention demonstrate good selectivity over other Eph receptor tyrosine kinases, such as EphA1 , EphA3, EphA4, EphA5, EphA6, EphA7 and EphB1 and factor XI IA, carbonic anhydrase 9 and CD38. It should also be noted that selected peptide ligands of the invention exhibit cross reactivity with other species (eg mouse and rat) to permit testing in animal models; and
• a peptide ligand refers to a peptide covalently bound to a molecular scaffold.
• such peptides comprise two or more reactive groups (i.e. cysteine residues) which are capable of forming covalent bonds to the scaffold, and a sequence subtended between said reactive groups which is referred to as the loop sequence, since it forms a loop when the peptide is bound to the scaffold.
• the peptides comprise at least three reactive groups selected from cysteine, 3-mercaptopropionic acid and/or cysteamine and form at least two loops on the scaffold.
• references to peptide ligands include the salt forms of said ligands.
• the salts of the present invention can be synthesized from the parent compound that contains a basic or acidic moiety by conventional chemical methods such as methods described in Pharmaceutical Salts: Properties, Selection, and Use, P. Heinrich Stahl (Editor), Camille G. Wermuth (Editor), ISBN: 3-90639-026-8, Hardcover, 388 pages, August 2002.
• such salts can be prepared by reacting the free acid or base forms of these compounds with the appropriate base or acid in water or in an organic solvent, or in a mixture of the two.
• Acid addition salts may be formed with a wide variety of acids, both inorganic and organic.
• acid addition salts include mono- or di-salts formed with an acid selected from the group consisting of acetic, 2,2-dichloroacetic, adipic, alginic, ascorbic (e.g.
• D-glucuronic D-glucuronic
• glutamic e.g. L-glutamic
• a-oxoglutaric glycolic, hippuric
• hydrohalic acids e.g. hydrobromic, hydrochloric, hydriodic
• isethionic lactic (e.g.
• salts consist of salts formed from acetic, hydrochloric, hydriodic, phosphoric, nitric, sulfuric, citric, lactic, succinic, maleic, malic, isethionic, fumaric, benzenesulfonic, toluenesulfonic, sulfuric, methanesulfonic (mesylate), ethanesulfonic, naphthalenesulfonic, valeric, propanoic, butanoic, malonic, glucuronic and lactobionic acids.
• One particular salt is the hydrochloride salt.
• Another particular salt is the acetate salt.
• a salt may be formed with an organic or inorganic base, generating a suitable cation.
• suitable inorganic cations include, but are not limited to, alkali metal ions such as Li + , Na + and K + , alkaline earth metal cations such as Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ , and other cations such as Al 3+ or Zn + .
• Suitable organic cations include, but are not limited to, ammonium ion (i.e., NhV) and substituted ammonium ions (e.g., NHsR + , NhhFV, NHR3 + , NR 4 + ).
• Examples of some suitable substituted ammonium ions are those derived from: methylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, propylamine, dicyclohexylamine, triethylamine, butylamine, ethylenediamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, piperazine, benzylamine, phenylbenzylamine, choline, meglumine, and tromethamine, as well as amino acids, such as lysine and arginine.
• An example of a common quaternary ammonium ion is N(CH3)4 + .
• the compounds of the invention may contain an amine function, these may form quaternary ammonium salts, for example by reaction with an alkylating agent according to methods well known to the skilled person. Such quaternary ammonium compounds are within the scope of the invention.
• Reactive Groups
• the molecular scaffold of the invention may be bonded to the polypeptide via functional or reactive groups on the polypeptide. These are typically formed from the side chains of particular amino acids found in the polypeptide polymer. Such reactive groups may be a cysteine side chain, a lysine side chain, or an N-terminal amine group or any other suitable reactive group, such as penicillamine. Details of suitable reactive groups may be found in WO 2009/098450.
• reactive groups of natural amino acids are the thiol group of cysteine, the amino group of lysine, the carboxyl group of aspartate or glutamate, the guanidinium group of arginine, the phenolic group of tyrosine or the hydroxyl group of serine.
• Non-natural amino acids can provide a wide range of reactive groups including an azide, a keto-carbonyl, an alkyne, a vinyl, or an aryl halide group.
• the amino and carboxyl group of the termini of the polypeptide can also serve as reactive groups to form covalent bonds to a molecular scaffold/molecular core.
• polypeptides of the invention contain at least three reactive groups. Said polypeptides can also contain four or more reactive groups. The more reactive groups are used, the more loops can be formed in the molecular scaffold.
• polypeptides with three reactive groups are generated. Reaction of said polypeptides with a molecular scaffold/molecular core having a three-fold rotational symmetry generates a single product isomer.
• the generation of a single product isomer is favourable for several reasons.
• the nucleic acids of the compound libraries encode only the primary sequences of the polypeptide but not the isomeric state of the molecules that are formed upon reaction of the polypeptide with the molecular core. If only one product isomer can be formed, the assignment of the nucleic acid to the product isomer is clearly defined. If multiple product isomers are formed, the nucleic acid cannot give information about the nature of the product isomer that was isolated in a screening or selection process.
• a single product isomer is also advantageous if a specific member of a library of the invention is synthesized.
• the chemical reaction of the polypeptide with the molecular scaffold yields a single product isomer rather than a mixture of isomers.
• polypeptides with four reactive groups are generated. Reaction of said polypeptides with a molecular scaffold/molecular core having a tetrahedral symmetry generates two product isomers. Even though the two different product isomers are encoded by one and the same nucleic acid, the isomeric nature of the isolated isomer can be determined by chemically synthesizing both isomers, separating the two isomers and testing both isomers for binding to a target ligand.
• At least one of the reactive groups of the polypeptides is orthogonal to the remaining reactive groups.
• orthogonal reactive groups allows the directing of said orthogonal reactive groups to specific sites of the molecular core.
• Linking strategies involving orthogonal reactive groups may be used to limit the number of product isomers formed. In other words, by choosing distinct or different reactive groups for one or more of the at least three bonds to those chosen for the remainder of the at least three bonds, a particular order of bonding or directing of specific reactive groups of the polypeptide to specific positions on the molecular scaffold may be usefully achieved.
• the reactive groups of the polypeptide of the invention are reacted with molecular linkers wherein said linkers are capable to react with a molecular scaffold so that the linker will intervene between the molecular scaffold and the polypeptide in the final bonded state.
• amino acids of the members of the libraries or sets of polypeptides can be replaced by any natural or non-natural amino acid. Excluded from these amino acids
• exchangeable amino acids are the ones harbouring functional groups for cross-linking the polypeptides to a molecular core, such that the loop sequences alone are exchangeable.
• the exchangeable polypeptide sequences have either random sequences, constant sequences or sequences with random and constant amino acids.
• the amino acids with reactive groups are either located in defined positions within the polypeptide, since the position of these amino acids determines loop size.
• a polypeptide with three reactive groups has the sequence
• thiol-mediated conjugations can be used to attach the molecular scaffold to the peptide via covalent interactions.
• these techniques may be used in modification or attachment of further moieties (such as small molecules of interest which are distinct from the molecular scaffold) to the polypeptide after they have been selected or isolated according to the present invention - in this embodiment then clearly the attachment need not be covalent and may embrace non-covalent attachment.
• thiol mediated methods may be used instead of (or in combination with) the thiol mediated methods by producing phage that display proteins and peptides bearing unnatural amino acids with the requisite chemical reactive groups, in combination small molecules that bear the complementary reactive group, or by incorporating the unnatural amino acids into a chemically or recombinantly synthesised polypeptide when the molecule is being made after the selection/isolation phase. Further details can be found in WO 2009/098450 or Heinis et al., Nat Chem Biol 2009, 5 (7), 502-7.
• the reactive groups are selected from cysteine, 3-mercaptopropionic acid and/or cysteamine residues.
• modified derivatives of the peptide ligands as defined herein are within the scope of the present invention.
• suitable modified derivatives include one or more modifications selected from: N-terminal and/or C-terminal modifications; replacement of one or more amino acid residues with one or more non-natural amino acid residues (such as replacement of one or more polar amino acid residues with one or more isosteric or isoelectronic amino acids; replacement of one or more non-polar amino acid residues with other non-natural isosteric or isoelectronic amino acids); addition of a spacer group; replacement of one or more oxidation sensitive amino acid residues with one or more oxidation resistant amino acid residues; replacement of one or more amino acid residues with an alanine, replacement of one or more L-amino acid residues with one or more D-amino acid residues; N-alkylation of one or more amide bonds within the bicyclic peptide ligand; replacement of one or more peptide bonds with a surrog
• the modified derivative comprises an N-terminal and/or C-terminal modification.
• the modified derivative comprises an N- terminal modification using suitable amino-reactive chemistry, and/or C-terminal modification using suitable carboxy-reactive chemistry.
• said N-terminal or C- terminal modification comprises addition of an effector group, including but not limited to a cytotoxic agent, a radiochelator or a chromophore.
• the modified derivative comprises an N-terminal modification.
• the N-terminal modification comprises an N-terminal acetyl group.
• the N-terminal cysteine group (the group referred to herein as C,) is capped with acetic anhydride or other appropriate reagents during peptide synthesis leading to a molecule which is N-terminally acetylated. This embodiment provides the advantage of removing a potential recognition point for aminopeptidases and avoids the potential for degradation of the bicyclic peptide.
• the N-terminal modification comprises the addition of a molecular spacer group which facilitates the conjugation of effector groups and retention of potency of the bicyclic peptide to its target.
• the modified derivative comprises a C-terminal modification.
• the C-terminal modification comprises an amide group.
• the C-terminal cysteine group (the group referred to herein as C m ) is synthesized as an amide during peptide synthesis leading to a molecule which is C-terminally amidated. This embodiment provides the advantage of removing a potential recognition point for carboxy peptidase and reduces the potential for proteolytic degradation of the bicyclic peptide.
• the modified derivative comprises replacement of one or more amino acid residues with one or more non-natural amino acid residues.
• non-natural amino acids may be selected having isosteric/isoelectronic side chains which are neither recognised by degradative proteases nor have any adverse effect upon target potency.
• non-natural amino acids may be used having constrained amino acid side chains, such that proteolytic hydrolysis of the nearby peptide bond is conformationally and sterically impeded.
• these concern proline analogues, bulky sidechains, Ca- disubstituted derivatives (for example, aminoisobutyric acid, Aib), and cyclo amino acids, a simple derivative being amino-cyclopropylcarboxylic acid.
• the modified derivative comprises the addition of a spacer group. In a further embodiment, the modified derivative comprises the addition of a spacer group to the N-terminal cysteine (C,) and/or the C-terminal cysteine (C m ). In one embodiment, the modified derivative comprises replacement of one or more oxidation sensitive amino acid residues with one or more oxidation resistant amino acid residues. In a further embodiment, the modified derivative comprises replacement of a tryptophan residue with a naphthylalanine or alanine residue. This embodiment provides the advantage of improving the pharmaceutical stability profile of the resultant bicyclic peptide ligand.
• the modified derivative comprises replacement of one or more charged amino acid residues with one or more hydrophobic amino acid residues. In an alternative embodiment, the modified derivative comprises replacement of one or more hydrophobic amino acid residues with one or more charged amino acid residues.
• the correct balance of charged versus hydrophobic amino acid residues is an important characteristic of the bicyclic peptide ligands. For example, hydrophobic amino acid residues influence the degree of plasma protein binding and thus the concentration of the free available fraction in plasma, while charged amino acid residues (in particular arginine) may influence the interaction of the peptide with the phospholipid membranes on cell surfaces. The two in combination may influence half-life, volume of distribution and exposure of the peptide drug, and can be tailored according to the clinical endpoint. In addition, the correct combination and number of charged versus hydrophobic amino acid residues may reduce irritation at the injection site (if the peptide drug has been administered subcutaneously).
• the modified derivative comprises replacement of one or more L-amino acid residues with one or more D-amino acid residues.
• This embodiment is believed to increase proteolytic stability by steric hindrance and by a propensity of D-amino acids to stabilise b-turn conformations (Tugyi et a/ (2005) PNAS, 102(2), 413-418).
• the modified derivative comprises removal of any amino acid residues and substitution with alanines. This embodiment provides the advantage of removing potential proteolytic attack site(s).
• the present invention includes all pharmaceutically acceptable (radio)isotope-labeled peptide ligands of the invention, wherein one or more atoms are replaced by atoms having the same atomic number, but an atomic mass or mass number different from the atomic mass or mass number usually found in nature, and peptide ligands of the invention, wherein metal chelating groups are attached (termed“effector”) that are capable of holding relevant (radio)isotopes, and peptide ligands of the invention, wherein certain functional groups are covalently replaced with relevant (radio)isotopes or isotopically labelled functional groups.
• isotopes suitable for inclusion in the peptide ligands of the invention comprise isotopes of hydrogen, such as 2 H (D) and 3 H (T), carbon, such as 11 C, 13 C and 14 C, chlorine, such as 36 CI, fluorine, such as 18 F, iodine, such as 123 l, 125 l and 131 l, nitrogen, such as 13 N and 15 N, oxygen, such as 15 0, 17 0 and 18 0, phosphorus, such as 32 P, sulfur, such as 35 S, copper, such as 64 Cu, gallium, such as 67 Ga or 68 Ga, yttrium, such as 90 Y and lutetium, such as 177 Lu, and Bismuth, such as 213 Bi.
• hydrogen such as 2 H (D) and 3 H (T)
• carbon such as 11 C, 13 C and 14 C
• chlorine such as 36 CI
• fluorine such as 18 F
• iodine such as 123 l, 125 l and 131
• Certain isotopically-labelled peptide ligands of the invention are useful in drug and/or substrate tissue distribution studies, and to clinically assess the presence and/or absence of the Nectin-4 target on diseased tissues.
• the peptide ligands of the invention can further have valuable diagnostic properties in that they can be used for detecting or identifying the formation of a complex between a labelled compound and other molecules, peptides, proteins, enzymes or receptors.
• the detecting or identifying methods can use compounds that are labelled with labelling agents such as radioisotopes, enzymes, fluorescent substances, luminous substances (for example, luminol, luminol derivatives, luciferin, aequorin and luciferase), etc.
• labelling agents such as radioisotopes, enzymes, fluorescent substances, luminous substances (for example, luminol, luminol derivatives, luciferin, aequorin and luciferase), etc.
• the radioactive isotopes tritium, i.e. 3 H (T), and carbon-14, i.e. 14 C, are particularly useful for this purpose in view of their ease of incorporation and ready means of detection.
• Substitution with heavier isotopes such as deuterium, i.e. 2 H (D), may afford certain therapeutic advantages resulting from greater metabolic stability, for example, increased in vivo half-life or reduced dosage requirements, and hence may be preferred in some circumstances.
• Isotopically-labeled compounds of peptide ligands of the invention can generally be prepared by conventional techniques known to those skilled in the art or by processes analogous to those described in the accompanying Examples using an appropriate isotopically-labeled reagent in place of the non-labeled reagent previously employed.
• the peptides of the present invention may be manufactured synthetically by standard techniques followed by reaction with a molecular scaffold in vitro. When this is performed, standard chemistry may be used. This enables the rapid large scale preparation of soluble material for further downstream experiments or validation. Such methods could be accomplished using conventional chemistry such as that disclosed in Timmerman et al (supra).
• the invention also relates to manufacture of polypeptides or conjugates selected as set out herein, wherein the manufacture comprises optional further steps as explained below. In one embodiment, these steps are carried out on the end product polypeptide/conjugate made by chemical synthesis.
• amino acid residues in the polypeptide of interest may be substituted when manufacturing a conjugate or complex.
• Peptides can also be extended, to incorporate for example another loop and therefore introduce multiple specificities.
• the peptide may simply be extended chemically at its N-terminus or C-terminus or within the loops using orthogonally protected lysines (and analogues) using standard solid phase or solution phase chemistry.
• Standard (bio)conjugation techniques may be used to introduce an activated or activatable N- or C-terminus.
• additions may be made by fragment condensation or native chemical ligation e.g. as described in (Dawson et al. 1994. Synthesis of Proteins by Native Chemical Ligation. Science 266:776-779), or by enzymes, for example using subtiligase as described in (Chang et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Dec 20; 91 (26): 12544-8 or in Hikari et al Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters Volume 18, Issue 22, 15 November 2008, Pages 6000-6003).
• the peptides may be extended or modified by further conjugation through disulphide bonds.
• This has the additional advantage of allowing the first and second peptides to dissociate from each other once within the reducing environment of the cell.
• the molecular scaffold e.g. TATA
• a further cysteine or thiol could then be appended to the N or C-terminus of the first peptide, so that this cysteine or thiol only reacted with a free cysteine or thiol of the second peptides, forming a disulfide -linked bicyclic peptide- peptide conjugate.
• composition comprising a peptide ligand as defined herein in combination with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.
• the present peptide ligands will be utilised in purified form together with pharmacologically appropriate excipients or carriers.
• these excipients or carriers include aqueous or alcoholic/aqueous solutions, emulsions or suspensions, including saline and/or buffered media.
• Parenteral vehicles include sodium chloride solution, Ringer's dextrose, dextrose and sodium chloride and lactated Ringer's.
• Suitable physiologically- acceptable adjuvants if necessary to keep a polypeptide complex in suspension, may be chosen from thickeners such as carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, gelatin and alginates.
• Intravenous vehicles include fluid and nutrient replenishers and electrolyte replenishers, such as those based on Ringer's dextrose. Preservatives and other additives, such as antimicrobials, antioxidants, chelating agents and inert gases, may also be present (Mack (1982) Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16th Edition).
• the peptide ligands of the present invention may be used as separately administered compositions or in conjunction with other agents. These can include antibodies, antibody fragments and various immunotherapeutic drugs, such as cylcosporine, methotrexate, adriamycin or cisplatinum and immunotoxins. Pharmaceutical compositions can include "cocktails" of various cytotoxic or other agents in conjunction with the protein ligands of the present invention, or even combinations of selected polypeptides according to the present invention having different specificities, such as polypeptides selected using different target ligands, whether or not they are pooled prior to administration.
• immunotherapeutic drugs such as cylcosporine, methotrexate, adriamycin or cisplatinum and immunotoxins.
• Pharmaceutical compositions can include "cocktails" of various cytotoxic or other agents in conjunction with the protein ligands of the present invention, or even combinations of selected polypeptides according to the present invention having different specificities, such as polypeptides selected
• the route of administration of pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention may be any of those commonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
• the peptide ligands of the invention can be administered to any patient in accordance with standard techniques.
• the administration can be by any appropriate mode, including parenterally, intravenously, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally, transdermally, via the pulmonary route, or also, appropriately, by direct infusion with a catheter.
• the pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention will be administered by inhalation.
• the dosage and frequency of administration will depend on the age, sex and condition of the patient, concurrent administration of other drugs, counterindications and other parameters to be taken into account by the clinician.
• the peptide ligands of this invention can be lyophilised for storage and reconstituted in a suitable carrier prior to use. This technique has been shown to be effective and art-known lyophilisation and reconstitution techniques can be employed. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that lyophilisation and reconstitution can lead to varying degrees of activity loss and that levels may have to be adjusted upward to compensate.
• compositions containing the present peptide ligands or a cocktail thereof can be administered for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatments.
• an adequate amount to accomplish at least partial inhibition, suppression, modulation, killing, or some other measurable parameter, of a population of selected cells is defined as a "therapeutically-effective dose”. Amounts needed to achieve this dosage will depend upon the severity of the disease and the general state of the patient's own immune system, but generally range from 0.005 to 5.0 mg of selected peptide ligand per kilogram of body weight, with doses of 0.05 to 2.0 mg/kg/dose being more commonly used.
• compositions containing the present peptide ligands or cocktails thereof may also be administered in similar or slightly lower dosages.
• a composition containing a peptide ligand according to the present invention may be utilised in prophylactic and therapeutic settings to aid in the alteration, inactivation, killing or removal of a select target cell population in a mammal.
• the peptide ligands described herein may be used extracorporeally or in vitro selectively to kill, deplete or otherwise effectively remove a target cell population from a heterogeneous collection of cells.
• Blood from a mammal may be combined extracorporeally with the selected peptide ligands whereby the undesired cells are killed or otherwise removed from the blood for return to the mammal in accordance with standard techniques.
• heterotandem bicyclic peptide complex as defined herein for use in preventing, suppressing or treating cancer.
• cancers and their benign counterparts which may be treated (or inhibited) include, but are not limited to tumors of epithelial origin (adenomas and carcinomas of various types including adenocarcinomas, squamous carcinomas, transitional cell carcinomas and other carcinomas) such as carcinomas of the bladder and urinary tract, breast, gastrointestinal tract (including the esophagus, stomach (gastric), small intestine, colon, rectum and anus), liver (hepatocellular carcinoma), gall bladder and biliary system, exocrine pancreas, kidney, lung (for example adenocarcinomas, small cell lung carcinomas, non-small cell lung carcinomas, bronchioalveolar carcinomas and mesotheliomas), head and neck (for example cancers of the tongue, buccal cavity, larynx, pharynx, nasopharynx, tonsil, salivary glands, nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses), ovary, fallopian
• lymphoid lineage for example acute lymphocytic leukemia [ALL], chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL], B-cell lymphomas such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [DLBCL], follicular lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, T-cell lymphomas and leukaemias, natural killer [NK] cell lymphomas, Hodgkin’s lymphomas, hairy cell leukaemia, monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance, plasmacytoma, multiple myeloma, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders), and haematological malignancies and related conditions of myeloid lineage (for example acute myelogenousleukemia [AML], chronic myelogenousleukemia [CML], chronic myelomonoc
• the cancer is selected from a hematopoietic malignancy such as selected from: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), multiple myeloma (MM), B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), B and T acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), T cell lymphoma (TCL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), hairy cell leukemia (HCL), Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
• NHL non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• BL Burkitt's lymphoma
• MM multiple myeloma
• B-CLL B chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• ALL T acute lymphocytic leukemia
• TCL T cell lymphoma
• AML acute myeloid leukemia
• HCL hairy cell leukemia
• HL Hodgkin
• references herein to the term “prevention” involves administration of the protective composition prior to the induction of the disease.
• “Suppression” refers to administration of the composition after an inductive event, but prior to the clinical appearance of the disease.
• Treatment involves administration of the protective composition after disease symptoms become manifest.
• Animal model systems which can be used to screen the effectiveness of the peptide ligands in protecting against or treating the disease are available. The use of animal model systems is facilitated by the present invention, which allows the development of polypeptide ligands which can cross react with human and animal targets, to allow the use of animal models.
• Rink Amide MBHA Resin was used. To a mixture containing Rink Amide MBHA (0.4-0.45 mmol/g) and Fmoc-Cys(Trt)-OH (3.0 eq) was added DMF, then DIC (3 eq) and HOAt (3 eq) were added and mixed for 1 hour. 20% piperidine in DMF was used for deblocking. Each subsequent amino acid was coupled with 3 eq using activator reagents, DIC (3.0 eq) and HOAT (3.0 eq) in DMF. The reaction was monitored by ninhydrin color reaction or tetrachlor color reaction.
• the peptide resin was washed with DMF x 3, MeOH x 3, and then dried under N2 bubbling overnight. The peptide resin was then treated with 92.5% TFA/2.5% TIS/2.5% EDT/2.5% H2O for 3h. The peptide was precipitated with cold isopropyl ether and centrifuged (3 min at 3000 rpm). The pellet was washed twice with isopropyl ether and the crude peptide was dried under vacuum for2 hours and then lyophilised.
• the lyophilised powder was dissolved in of ACN/H2O (50:50), and a solution of 100 mM TATA in ACN was added, followed by ammonium bicarbonate in H2O (1 M) and the solution mixed for 1 h. Once the cyclisation was complete, the reaction was quenched with 1 M aq. Cysteine hydrochloride (10 eq relative to TATA), then mixed and left to stand for an hour. The solution was lyophilised to afford crude product. The crude peptide was purified by Preparative HPLC and lyophilized to give the product
• [FI]G[Sar] 5 ADVTCPWGPFWCPVNRPGCA-CONH 2 (SEQ ID NO: 60) where FI is 5/6- carboxfluorescein and Sar is sarcosine.
• Peptides were diluted to an appropriate concentration in assay buffer as described in the direct binding assay with a maximum of 5% DMSO, then serially diluted 1 in 2.
• Five pl_ of diluted peptide was added to the plate followed by 10mI_ of human EphA2 at a concentration of 25nM, then 10mI_ fluorescent peptide added (final concentration 0.8nM). Measurements were conducted, however the gain was determined prior to the first measurement.

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