Monomethylvaline compounds capable of conjugation to ligands

1. A method for treating cancer comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of an antibody-drug conjugate compound having the formula IIa:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:

Ab is an antibody that specifically binds to an antigen expressed by the cancer,

R 17 is selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 10 alkylene-, —C 3 -C 8 carbocyclo-, —O—(C 1 -C 8 alkyl)-, -arylene-, —C 1 -C 10 alkylene-arylene-, -arylene-C 1 -C 10 alkylene-, —C 1 -C 10 alkylene-(C 3 -C 8 carbocyclo)-, —(C 3 -C 8 carbocyclo)-C 1 -C 10 alkylene-, —C 3 -C 8 heterocyclo-, —C 1 -C 10 alkylene-(C 3 -C 8 heterocyclo)-, —(C 3 -C 8 heterocyclo)-C 1 -C 10 alkylene-, -—(CH 2 CH 2 O) r and —(CH 2 CH 2 O) r —CH 2 —;

r is an integer rangin from 1 to 10;

p ranges from 1 to about 20, and

D is a drug moiety of Formula D F :

the wavy line of D f indicates the covalent attachment site to C(O) in formula IIIa;

wherein, independently at each location:

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of H and C 1 -C 8 alkyl;

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 3 -C 8 carbocycle, aryl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl-aryl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl-(C 3 -C 8 carbocycle), C 3 -C 8 heterocycle and C 1 -C 8 alkyl-(C 3 -C 8 heterocycle);

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 3 -C 8 carbocycle, aryl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl-aryl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl-(C 3 -C 8 carbocycle), C 3 -C 8 heterocycle and C 1 -C 8 alkyl-(C 3 -C 8 heterocycle);

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of H and methyl;

or R 4 and R 5 jointly form a carbocyclic ring and have the formula —(CR a R b ) n — wherein R a and R b are independently selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 8 alkyl and C 3 -C 8 carbocycle and n is selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of H and C 1 -C 8 alkyl;

R 7 is selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 3 -C 8 carbocycle, aryl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl-aryl, C 1 -C 8 alkyl-(C 3 -C 8 carbocycle), C 3 -C 8 heterocycle and C 1 -C 8 alkyl-(C 3 -C 8 heterocycle);

each R 8 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, C 3 -C 8 carbocycle and O—(C 1 -C 8 alkyl);

R 9 is selected from the group consisting of H and C 1 -C 8 alkyl;

R 10 is selected from aryl or C 3 -C 8 heterocycle;

Z is O, S, NH, or NR 12 , wherein R 12 is C 1 -C 8 alkyl;

R 11 is selected from H, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, aryl, C 3 -C 8 heterocycle, —(R 13 O) m —R 14 , or —(R 13 O) m —CH(R 15 ) 2 ;

m is an integer ranging from 1-1000;

R 13 is C 2 -C 8 alkyl;

R 14 is H or C 1 -C 8 alkyl;

each occurrence of R 15 is independently H, COOH, —(CH 2 ) n —N(R 16 ) 2 , —(CH 2 ) n —SO 3 H, or —(CH 2 ) n —SO 3 —C 1 -C 8 alkyl;

each occurrence of R 16 is independently H, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, or —(CH 2 ) n —COOH; and

n is an integer ranging from 0 to 6.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising administering an effective amount of an additional anticancer agent.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody-drug conjugate compound is formulated with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent, carrier or excipient.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of antibody-drug conjugate compound administered to the patient is in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 mg/kg of patient weight.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody-drug conjugate is administered at about three week intervals.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said antibody-drug conjugate compound is administered parenterally or intravenously.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said antibody-drug conjugate compound is formulated with a pharmaceutically acceptable parenteral vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody-drug conjugate compound is formulated in a unit dosage injectable form.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

Ab is an antibody which binds to one or more tumor-associated antigens (1)-(35):

(1) BMPR1B (bone morphogenetic protein receptor-type IB);

(2) E16 (LAT1, SLC7A5);

(3) STEAP1 (six transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate);

(4) 0772P (CA125, MUC16);

(5) MPF (MPF, MSLN, SMR, megakaryocyte potentiating factor, mesothelin);

(6) Napi3b (NAPI-3B, NPTIIb, SLC34A2, solute carrier family 34 (sodium phosphate), member 2, type II sodium-dependent phosphate transporter 3b);

(7) Sema 5b (FLJ10372, KIAA1445, Mm.42015, SEMA5B, SEMAG, Semaphorin 5b Hlog, sema domain, seven thrombospondin repeats (type 1 and type 1-like), transmembrane domain (TM) and short cytoplasmic domain, (semaphorin) 5B);

(8) PSCA hlg (2700050C12Rik, C530008O16Rik, RIKEN cDNA 2700050C12, RIKEN cDNA 2700050C12 gene);

(9) ETBR (Endothelin type B receptor);

(10) MSG783 (RNF124, hypothetical protein FLJ20315);

(11) STEAP2 (HGNC — 8639, IPCA-1, PCANAP1, STAMP1, STEAP2, STMP, prostate cancer associated gene 1, prostate cancer associated protein 1, six transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 2, six transmembrane prostate protein);

(12) TrpM4 (BR22450, FLJ20041, TRPM4, TRPM4B, transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 4);

(13) CRIPTO (CR, CR1, CRGF, CRIPTO, TDGF1, teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor);

(14) CD21 (CR2 (Complement receptor 2) or C3DR (C3d/Epstein Barr virus receptor) or Hs.73792);

(15) CD79b (IGb (immunoglobulin-associated beta), B29);

(16) FcRH2 (IFGP4, IRTA4, SPAP1A (SH2 domain containing phosphatase anchor protein 1a), SPAP1B, SPAP1C);

(17) HER2;

(18) NCA;

(19) MDP;

(20) IL20Rα;

(21) Brevican;

(22) Ephb2R;

(23) ASLG659;

(24) PSCA;

(25) GEDA;

(26) BAFF-R;

(27) CD22;

(28) CD79a (CD79A, CD79α, immunoglobulin-associated alpha);

(29) CXCR5 (Burkitt's lymphoma receptor 1);

(30) HLA-DOB (Beta subunit of MHC class II molecule (Ia antigen) that binds peptides and presents them to CD4+ T lymphocytes);

(31) P2X5 (Purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 5);

(32) CD72 (B-cell differentiation antigen CD72, Lyb-2);

(33) LY64 (Lymphocyte antigen 64 (RP105), type I membrane protein of the leucine rich repeat (LRR) family);

(34) FCRH1 (Fc receptor-like protein 1); and

(35) IRTA2 (Immunoglobulin superfamily receptor translocation associated 2).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of breast, ovarian, stomach, endometrial, salivary gland, lung, kidney, colon, colorectal, thyroid, pancreatic, prostate and bladder cancer.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the cancer is breast cancer and the breast cancer overexpresses ErbB2 at a 2+ level or more.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the breast cancer overexpresses ErbB2 at a 3+ level.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody of the antibody-drug conjugate compound has a biological characteristic of a 4D5 monoclonal antibody.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody is a humanized form of monoclonal antibody 4D5 (ATCC CRL 10463).

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the antibody is selected from the group consisting of humanized antibodies huMAb4D5-1, huMAb4D5-2, huMAb4D5-3, huMAb4D5-4, huMAb4D5-5, huMAb4D5-6, huMAb4D5-7 and huMAb4D5-8 (trastuzumab).

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the antibody is humanized antibody huMAb4D5-8 (trastuzumab).

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody of the antibody-drug conjugate compound is an antibody fragment.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the antibody fragment is a Fab fragment.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer is characterized by the overexpresssion of an ErbB2 receptor.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer does not respond, or responds poorly, to treatment with an anti-ErbB2 antibody.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (1) BMPR1B.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (3) STEAP1.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (4) 0772P.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (5) MPF.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (6) Napi3b.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (7) Sema 5b.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (8) PSCA hlg.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (9) ETBR.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (11) STEAP2.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (13) CRIPTO.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (15) CD79b.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (17) HER2.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (23) ASLG659.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (27) CD22.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (28) CD79a.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (30) HLA-DOB.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the antibody binds to tumor-associated antigen (35) IRTA2.

38. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is attached to the drug moiety through a cysteine residue of the antibody.

39. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody-drug conjugate compound having the formula:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

40. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody.

41. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a humanized antibody.

42. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody-drug conjugate compound has the formula:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Ab is an antibody that specifically binds to an antigen expressed by the cancer.