Tandem-Cleavage Linkers Improve the In Vivo Stability and Tolerability of Antibody-Drug Conjugates.

Although peptide motifs represent the majority of cleavable linkers used in clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), the sequences are often sensitive to cleavage by extracellular enzymes, such as elastase, which leads to systemic release of the cytotoxic payload. This action reduces the therapeutic index by causing off-target toxicities that can be dose-limiting. For example, a common side-effect of ADCs made using peptide-cleavable linkers is myelosuppression, including neutropenia. Only a few reports describe methods for optimizing peptide linkers to maintain efficient and potent tumor payload delivery while enhancing circulating stability. Herein, we address these critical limitations through the development of a tandem-cleavage linker strategy, where two sequential enzymatic cleavage events mediate payload release. We prepared dipeptides that are protected from degradation in the circulation by a sterically encumbering glucuronide moiety. Upon ADC internalization and lysosomal degradation, the monosaccharide is removed and the exposed dipeptide is degraded, which liberates the attached payload inside the target cell. We used CD79b-targeted monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) conjugates as our model system and compared the stability, efficacy, and tolerability of ADCs made with tandem-cleavage linkers to ADCs made using standard technology with the vedotin linker. The results, where rat studies showed dramatically improved tolerability in the hematopoietic compartment, highlight the role that linker stability plays in efficacy and tolerability and also offer a means of improving an ADC's therapeutic index for improved patient outcomes.

A Novel HER2-targeted Antibody-drug Conjugate Offers the Possibility of Clinical Dosing at Trastuzumab-equivalent Exposure Levels.

Trastuzumab and the related ADC, ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), both target HER2-overexpressing cells. Together, these drugs have treatment indications in both early-stage and metastatic settings for HER2+ breast cancer. T-DM1 retains the antibody functionalities of trastuzumab and adds the potency of a cytotoxic maytansine payload. Interestingly, in the clinic, T-DM1 cannot always replace the use of trastuzumab plus chemotherapy administered together as single agents. We hypothesize that this failure may be due, in part, to the limited systemic exposure achieved by T-DM1 relative to trastuzumab because of toxicity-related dosing constraints on the ADC. We have developed a trastuzumab-based ADC site specifically conjugated to maytansine through a noncleavable linker. This construct, termed CAT-01-106, has a drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of 1.8, approximately half the average DAR of T-DM1, which comprises a mixture of antibodies variously conjugated with DARs ranging from 0 to 8. The high DAR species present in T-DM1 contribute to its toxicity and limit its clinical dose. CAT-01-106 showed superior in vivo efficacy compared with T-DM1 at equal payload dosing and was equally or better tolerated compared with T-DM1 at equal payload dosing up to 120 mg/kg in Sprague-Dawley rats and 60 mg/kg in cynomolgus monkeys. CAT-01-106 also showed improved pharmacokinetics in rats relative to T-DM1, with 40% higher ADC exposure levels. Together, the data suggest that CAT-01-106 may be sufficiently tolerable to enable clinical dosing at trastuzumab-equivalent exposure levels, combining the functions of both the antibody and the payload in one drug and potentially improving patient outcomes.

Stereoselective 1,3-insertions of rhodium(II) azavinyl carbenes.

Rhodium(II) azavinyl carbenes, conveniently generated from 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles, undergo a facile, mild, and convergent formal 1,3-insertion into N-H and O-H bonds of primary and secondary amides, various alcohols, and carboxylic acids to afford a wide range of vicinally bisfunctionalized (Z)-olefins with perfect regio- and stereoselectivity. Utilizing the distinctive functionality installed through these reactions, a number of subsequent rearrangements and cyclizations expand the repertoire of valuable organic building blocks constructed by reactions of transition-metal carbene complexes, including α-allenyl ketones and amino-substituted heterocycles.

Transannulation of 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles with heterocumulenes.

Readily available 1-mesyl-1,2,3-triazoles are efficiently converted into a variety of imidazolones and thiazoles by Rh(II)-catalyzed denitrogenative reactions with isocyanates and isothiocyanates, respectively. The proposed triazole-diazoimine equilibrium results in the formation of highly reactive azavinyl metal-carbenes, which react with heterocumulenes causing an apparent swap of 1,2,3-triazole core for another heterocycle.

Arylation of rhodium(II) azavinyl carbenes with boronic acids.

A highly efficient and stereoselective arylation of in situ-generated azavinyl carbenes affording 2,2-diaryl enamines at ambient temperatures has been developed. These transition-metal carbenes are directly produced from readily available and stable 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles in the presence of a rhodium carboxylate catalyst. In several cases, the enamines generated in this reaction can be cyclized into substituted indoles employing copper catalysis.

Catalytic asymmetric C-H insertions of rhodium(II) azavinyl carbenes.

A highly efficient enantioselective C-H insertion of azavinyl carbenes into unactivated alkanes has been developed. These transition metal carbenes are directly generated from readily available and stable 1-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles in the presence of chiral Rh(II) carboxylates and are used for C-H functionalization of alkanes to access a variety of ß-chiral sulfonamides.

Fused tetrazoles as azide surrogates in click reaction: efficient synthesis of N-heterocycle-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles.

It has been shown that various pyrido-, quinolino-, pyrazino-, and quinoxalinotetrazoles can be used efficiently as azide components in Cu-catalyzed click reaction with alkynes. This method allows for efficient synthesis of a wide variety of N-heterocyclic derivatives of 1,2,3-triazoles.

Rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective cyclopropanation of olefins with N-sulfonyl 1,2,3-triazoles.

N-Sulfonyl 1,2,3-triazoles readily form rhodium(II) azavinyl carbenes, which react with olefins to produce cyclopropanes with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity and in high yield.

Rhodium-catalyzed transannulation of 1,2,3-triazoles with nitriles.

Stable and readily available 1-sulfonyl triazoles are converted to the corresponding imidazoles in good to excellent yields via a rhodium(II)-catalyzed reaction with nitriles. Rhodium iminocarbenoids are proposed intermediates.

Sila morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction of cyclopropenes.

The first example of sila-Morita-Bayis-Hillman reaction between 1-silylcyclopropenes and carbonyl compounds has been demonstrated. This novel phosphine-catalyzed transformation features a 1,3-Brook rearrangement/elimination cascade and provides convenient access to a variety of 1-(silyloxymethyl)cyclopropenes, which are not easily available via traditional methods.

Regiodivergent metal-catalyzed rearrangement of 3-iminocyclopropenes into N-fused heterocycles.

A highly efficient regiodivergent method for the synthesis of N-fused heterocycles via transition-metal-catalyzed rearrangement of 3-iminocyclopropenes has been developed.

Direct Pd-catalyzed arylation of 1,2,3-triazoles.

A highly efficient method for the synthesis of multisubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles via a direct Pd-catalyzed C-5 arylation has been developed.

Direct palladium-catalyzed arylation of cyclopropenes.

The first examples of direct palladium-catalyzed arylation and heteroarylation of cyclopropenes have been demonstrated. This method allows for efficient synthesis of various tetrasubstituted cyclopropenes, incuding nonracemic cyclopropenes, which are not available via known asymmetric cyclopropenation methods. Mechanistic studies strongly suggest an electrophilic path for this Heck-type transformation.

Highly regiocontrolled Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of terminal alkynes and allenylphosphine oxides.

The cross-coupling of a variety of terminal alkynes 1 with allenylphosphine oxides 2 catalyzed by a Pd(OAc)(2)-TDMPP system provided conjugated endo-enynes 3 solely, while the TCPC-catalyzed reaction of the same regents led to the exclusive formation of exo-isomers 4. The mechanistic rationale for these selective transformations was proposed. Synthetic usefulness of the prepared exo-enyne 4 was demonstrated in the synthesis of multisubstituted diarylbenzylphosphine oxides 5 via the Pd-catalyzed [4+2]-benzannulation reaction.