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Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) that are currently on the market or in clinical trials are predominantly based on two drug classes: auristatins and maytansinoids. Both are tubulin binders and block the cell in its progression through mitosis. We set out to develop a new class of linker-drugs based on duocarmycins, potent DNA-alkylating agents that are composed of a DNA-alkylating and a DNA-binding moiety and that bind into the minor groove of DNA. Linker-drugs were evaluated as ADCs by conjugation to the anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab via reduced interchain disulfides. Duocarmycin 3b, bearing an imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-based DNA-binding unit, was selected as the drug moiety, notably because of its rapid degradation in plasma. The drug was incorporated into the linker-drugs in its inactive prodrug form, seco-duocarmycin 3a. Linker attachment to the hydroxyl group in the DNA-alkylating moiety was favored over linking to the DNA-binding moiety, as the first approach gave more consistent results for in vitro cytotoxicity and generated ADCs with excellent human plasma stability. Linker-drug 2was eventually selected based on the properties of the corresponding trastuzumab conjugate, SYD983, which had an average drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of about 2. SYD983 showed subnanomolar potencies against multiple human cancer cell lines, was highly efficacious in a BT-474 xenograft model, and had a long half-life in cynomolgus monkeys, in line with high stability in monkey and human plasma. Studies comparing ADCs with a different average DAR showed that a higher average DAR leads to increased efficacy but also to somewhat less favorable physicochemical and toxicological properties. Fractionation of SYD983 with hydrophobic interaction chromatography resulted in SYD985, consisting of about 95% DAR2 and DAR4 species in an approximate 2:1 ratio and having an average DAR of about 2.8. SYD985 combines several favorable properties from the unfractionated ADCs with an improved homogeneity. It was selected for further development and recently entered clinical Phase I evaluation.

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Six 7-deoxypaclitaxel derivatives have been prepared from taxine B; they contribute to understanding of the effect of the oxetane D-ring in paclitaxel on the cytotoxic activity of paclitaxel. Three of these analogues each contain a double bond instead of a D-ring at the C-4 position, while two others each contain a three-membered ring in place of the oxetane ring. Both the C-4 double bond and the small D-ring in these paclitaxel derivatives were intended to act as substitutes for the paclitaxel oxetane D-ring and were expected to impose on the taxane skeleton and the pendant groups a kind of rigidity and conformation similar to that produced by the oxetane ring in paclitaxel. All the derivatives demonstrated considerably reduced in vitro cytotoxic activity − relative to paclitaxel − against a panel of seven well-characterized human tumor cell lines. The general picture coming out of the structure-activity relationships of the paclitaxel derivatives reported here is that the presence of an oxygen atom at a spatial position resembling that of the oxygen atom in the oxetane ring of paclitaxel is important if a paclitaxel derivative is to retain considerable cytotoxic activity. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)

Two new 5,7-dideoxypaclitaxel derivatives with flexible C-rings have been prepared starting from Taxine B, an alkaloid isolated from the leaves of Taxus baccata. Both derivatives lack the oxetane ring present in the antitumor agent paclitaxel, but possess an oxygenated 4β-substituent as a substitute for the oxetane ring oxygen atom. These derivatives provide additional information about the importance of this oxygen atom for cytotoxic activity.

The high-pressure promoted Diels–Alder reactions between several furans and citraconic anhydride have been studied and the cycloadducts obtained have been explored in new straightforward routes to the CD-ring fragment of paclitaxel. The reaction between furan and citraconic anhydride afforded the exo cycloadduct diastereoselectively, whereas a variety of 2-substituted furans afforded approximate 1:1 mixtures of exo regioisomers. Separation of both regioisomers was accomplished after either diastereoselective esterification or regioselective reduction of the anhydride function. Ether cleavage of the bicyclic compounds by either high-pressure promoted ether cleavage or Boord elimination afforded several potential CD-ring precursors which can be used in the total synthesis of paclitaxel analogues.

During the large-scale synthesis of an O-cinnamoyltaxicin I acetonide, an intermediate for the semisynthesis of 7-deoxypaclitaxel derivatives, side-product 3 was formed via a vinylogous retro-aldol reaction and a long-range hydride shift from O-cinnamoyltaxicin I (1) under alkaline reaction conditions. Compound 3 has two hemi-acetal bridges at C-1,C-9 and C-10,C-13. Compound 4 was formed from side-product 3 under acidic reaction conditions and is the first C-13 spiro-taxane described in the literature. This spiro-taxane has two acetal bridges between C-1,C-13 and C-10,C-13.

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ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.