Generation and structure-activity relationships of novel imidazo-thienopyridine based TLR7 agonists: application as payloads for immunostimulatory antibody drug-conjugates.

Pairing immunostimulatory small molecules with the targeting capability of an antibody has emerged as a novel therapeutic modality with the potential to treat a variety of solid tumors. A series of compounds based on an imidazo-thienopyridine scaffold were synthesized and tested for their ability to agonize the innate immune sensors toll-like receptor 7 and 8 (TLR7/8). Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed that certain simple amino-substituents could enable TLR7 agonism at low nanomolar concentrations. Drug-linkers containing either payload 1 or 20h were conjugated to the HER2-targeting antibody trastuzumab at the interchain disulfide cysteine residues using a cleavable valine-citrulline dipeptide linker and stochastic thiol-maleimide chemistry. In vitro, these immune-stimulating antibody drug-conjugates (ADCs) were found to induce cytokine release in a murine splenocyte assay when co-cultured with the HER2-high NCI-N87 cancer cell line. In vivo, tumor regression was observed with a single dose in an NCI-N87 gastric carcinoma xenograft model in BALB/c nude mice.

Design and Evaluation of ZD06519, a Novel Camptothecin Payload for Antibody Drug Conjugates.

In recent years, the field of antibody drug conjugates (ADC) has seen a resurgence, largely driven by the clinical benefit observed in patients treated with ADCs incorporating camptothecin-based topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads. Herein, we present the development of a novel camptothecin ZD06519 (FD1), which has been specifically designed for its application as an ADC payload. A panel of camptothecin analogs with different substituents at the C-7 and C-10 positions of the camptothecin core was prepared and tested in vitro. Selected compounds spanning a range of potency and hydrophilicity were elaborated into drug-linkers, conjugated to trastuzumab, and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. ZD06519 was selected on the basis of its favorable properties as a free molecule and as an antibody conjugate, which include moderate free payload potency (∼1 nmol/L), low hydrophobicity, strong bystander activity, robust plasma stability, and high-monomeric ADC content. When conjugated to different antibodies using a clinically validated MC-GGFG-based linker, ZD06519 demonstrated impressive efficacy in multiple cell line-derived xenograft models and noteworthy tolerability in healthy mice, rats, and non-human primates.

Structure-Activity Relationships of Bis-Intercalating Peptides and Their Application as Antibody-Drug Conjugate Payloads.

Synthetic analogs based on the DNA bis-intercalating natural product peptides sandramycin and quinaldopeptin were investigated as antibody drug conjugate (ADC) payloads. Synthesis, biophysical characterization, and in vitro potency of 34 new analogs are described. Conjugation of an initial drug-linker derived from a novel bis-intercalating peptide produced an ADC that was hydrophobic and prone to aggregation. Two strategies were employed to improve ADC physiochemical properties: addition of a solubilizing group in the linker and the use of an enzymatically cleavable hydrophilic mask on the payload itself. All ADCs showed potent in vitro cytotoxicity in high antigen expressing cells; however, masked ADCs were less potent than payload matched unmasked ADCs in lower antigen expressing cell lines. Two pilot in vivo studies were conducted using stochastically conjugated DAR4 anti-FRα ADCs, which showed toxicity even at low doses, and site-specific conjugated (THIOMAB) DAR2 anti-cMet ADCs that were well tolerated and highly efficacious.

Discovery, Structure-Activity Relationships, and In Vivo Activity of Dihydropyridone Agonists of the Bile Acid Receptor TGR5.

A novel series of potent agonists of the bile acid receptor TGR5 bearing a dihydropyridone scaffold was developed from a high-throughput screen. Starting from a micromolar hit compound, we implemented an extensive structure-activity-relationship (SAR) study with the synthesis and biological evaluation of 83 analogues. The project culminated with the identification of the potent nanomolar TGR5 agonist 77A. We report the GLP-1 secretagogue effect of our lead compound ex vivo in mouse colonoids and in vivo. In addition, to identify specific features favorable for TGR5 activation, we generated and optimized a three-dimensional quantitative SAR model that contributed to our understanding of our activity profile and could guide further development of this dihydropyridone series.

Beyond the Rule of 5: Impact of PEGylation with Various Polymer Sizes on Pharmacokinetic Properties, Structure-Properties Relationships of mPEGylated Small Agonists of TGR5 Receptor.

PEGylation of therapeutic agents is known to improve the pharmacokinetic behavior of macromolecular drugs and nanoparticles. In this work, we performed the conjugation of polyethylene glycols (220-5000 Da) to a series of non-steroidal small agonists of the bile acids receptor TGR5. A suitable anchoring position on the agonist was identified to retain full agonistic potency with the conjugates. We describe herein an extensive structure-properties relationships study allowing us to finely describe the non-linear effects of the PEG length on the physicochemical as well as the in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic properties of these compounds. When appending a PEG of suitable length to the TGR5 pharmacophore, we were able to identify either systemic or gut lumen-restricted TGR5 agonists.

Topical Intestinal Aminoimidazole Agonists of G-Protein-Coupled Bile Acid Receptor 1 Promote Glucagon Like Peptide-1 Secretion and Improve Glucose Tolerance.

The role of the G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor TGR5 in various organs, tissues, and cell types, specifically in intestinal endocrine L-cells and brown adipose tissue, has made it a promising therapeutical target in several diseases, especially type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. However, recent studies have shown deleterious on-target effects of systemic TGR5 agonists. To avoid these systemic effects while stimulating glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secreting enteroendocrine L-cells, we have designed TGR5 agonists with low intestinal permeability. In this article, we describe their synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation. Among them, compound 24 is a potent GLP-1 secretagogue, has low effect on gallbladder volume, and improves glucose homeostasis in a preclinical murine model of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, making the proof of concept of the potential of topical intestinal TGR5 agonists as therapeutic agents in type-2 diabetes.