IP Library Granted Patent US 12697392
Granted Patent B2
US 12697392 · App. 18/869,122 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Quinone protected forms and conjugates

Inventors: Gonçalo Bernardes (Torres Vedras, PT); Lavinia Couturier (Cambridge, GB); Julie Becher (Boston, MA); Enrique Gil De Montes Rojas (London, GB)
Assignee: CAMBRIDGE ENTERPRISE LIMITED
A61K47/64C07C49/553C07D307/92C07D311/80C07D311/92C07D471/04C07H15/26C07J73/003C07C2602/02C07C2603/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697392
App. No.
18/869,122
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention provides protected ortho-quinone compounds comprising a group represented by: where —Ar— is optionally substituted phenylene, —X is selected from —NH 2 , —OH and —SH, and the protected forms of each, —W— is optionally substituted methylene, such as methylene, and d is a double or single bond, and the salts and solvates thereof.

Claims (60)

1 . A protected ortho-quinone compound comprising a group represented by:

where —Ar— is a phenylene or a substituted phenylene,

—X is selected from —NH 2 , —OH and —SH, and the protected forms of each,

—W— is a methylene or a substituted methylene,

d is a double or single bond, and

the ketol form of the ortho-quinone is selected from the group consisting of β-Lapachone, Rhinacanthone, Dunnione, Biflorin, Tanshinone I, Tanshinone IIA, Tanshinone IIB, Dihydrotanshinone I, Cryptotanshinone, Mansonone A, Mansonone C-G, Miltirone, Salvicine, Caryopteron A, Lantalucratin A-C, pyrroloquinolone quinone and 3-hydroxy-β-lapachone, and the salts and solvates thereof.

2 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 1 , wherein —X is —NH 2 .

3 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 1 , wherein —X is the protected form of —OH, and the protecting group is a glycan.

4 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 3 , wherein the glycan is a monosaccharide.

5 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 4 , wherein the monosaccharide is glucuronic acid.

6 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 1 , wherein —Ar— is phenylene.

7 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 1 , wherein —Ar— is phenylene substituted with one to four substituent groups, with each substituent group independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, nitro, halo, and amido.

8 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 1 , wherein —W— is methylene (—CH 2 —).

9 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 1 , wherein —W— is methylene substituted with one or two groups independently selected from C 1-10 alkyl, C 2-10 alkenyl, C 2-10 alknyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, halogen, C 1-10 haloalkyl, C 1-10 haloalkoxy, C 1-10 aminoalkyl, C 1-10 hydroxyalkyl, C 1-10 azidoalkyl, —NR W1 R W2 , —OR W1 , cyano, carboxy, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl and mercapto, wherein —R W1 and —R W2 are independently selected from hydrogen and C 1-4 alkyl.

10 . The protected ortho-quinone of claim 9 , wherein —W— is methylene substituted with one group selected from C 2-10 alkenyl, C 1-10 alkylamino, C 1-10 alkylhydroxyl, C 1-10 alkylazido and carboxy.

11 . A conjugate of formula:

Z-(L-D) p

where:

—Z is a polypeptide,

-L- is a linker,

p is an integer from 1 to 8,

D is a protected ortho-quinone compound according to claim 1

and the salts and solvates thereof.

12 . The conjugate of claim 11 , wherein -D is connected to -L- via the group —X.

13 . The conjugate of claim 11 , wherein -D is connected to -L- via a substituent to the group —W—, or via a substituent to the group —Ar—.

14 . The conjugate of claim 11 , wherein p is an integer from 1 to 4.

15 . The conjugate of claim 11 , wherein the linker -L- comprises one or more groups that are susceptible to enzymatic cleavage.

16 . The conjugate of claim 11 , wherein the linker -L- is or comprises a group of formula V:

wherein:

-L Q - is a selected from a bond, C 1 -C 10 alkylene and C 1 -C 10 alkylene containing O or NH in the backbone;

-Q X - is an amino-acid residue, a dipeptide, or a tripeptide; and

indicates the position where the group of Formula V is attached to a protected ortho-quinone, -D.

17 . The conjugate of claim 16 , wherein -Q X - is a dipeptide.

18 . The conjugate of claim 16 , wherein -Q X - is selected from the group consisting of:

NH -Phe-Lys- C═O ,

NH Val-Ala- C═O ,

NH Val-Lys- C═O ,

NH Ala-Lys- C═O ,

NH -Val-Cit- C═O ,

NH -Phe-Cit- C═O ,

NH -Leu-Cit- C═O ,

NH -Ile-Cit- C═O ,

NH -Phe-Arg- C═O , and

NH -Trp-Cit- C═O ;

where Cit is citrulline, and NH and C═O are the amino and carboxy terminals of the amino acid residues, which are present as —N(H)— and —C(O)— in the linker of formula V.

19 . The conjugate of claim 11 , wherein the linker -L- is of formula:

-L 1 -S-L 2 -

wherein:

-L 1 - is a polypeptide binding moiety;

-L 2 - is a binding moiety linked to the protected ortho-quinone, D; and

—S— is a spacer.

20 . The conjugate of claim 19 , wherein -L 2 - is a group of formula V:

wherein:

-L Q - is a selected from a bond, C 1 -C 10 alkylene and C 1 -C 10 alkylene containing O or NH in the backbone;

-Q X - is an amino-acid residue, a dipeptide, or a tripeptide; and

indicates the position where the group of Formula V is attached to a protected ortho-quinone, -D.

21 . The conjugate of claim 19 , wherein the spacer, —S—, is or comprises one or more groups selected from C 1 -C 20 alkylene, an alkylenediamine moiety, a (poly)ethylene glycol moiety, an amino acid residue, and combinations thereof.

22 . A method of treating cancer, comprising: administering to a subject a therapeutically-effective amount of a protected ortho-quinone according to claim 1 and the salts and solvates thereof.

23 . The conjugate of claim 11 , wherein the protected ortho-quinone compound is selected from the group consisting of β-Lapachone, Rhinacanthone, Dunnione, Biflorin, Tanshinone I, Tanshinone IIA, Tanshinone IIB, Dihydrotanshinone I, Cryptotanshinone, Mansonone A, C, D, E, F, and G, Miltirone, Salvicine, Caryopteron A, Lantalucratin A, B and C, pyrroloquinolone quinone and 3-hydroxy-β-lapachone.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the protected ortho-quinone compound is selected from the group consisting of β-Lapachone, Rhinacanthone, Dunnione, Biflorin, Tanshinone I, Tanshinone IIA, Tanshinone IIB, Dihydrotanshinone I, Cryptotanshinone, Mansonone A, C, D, E, F, and G, Miltirone, Salvicine, Caryopteron A, Lantalucratin A, B and C, pyrroloquinolone quinone and 3-hydroxy-β-lapachone.