Sulfamide linker, conjugates thereof, and methods of preparation

1. A process for the preparation of a bioconjugate, the process comprising the step of reacting a reactive group Q 1 of a linker-conjugate with a functional group F 1 of a glycoprotein (B) under condition such that the reactive group Q 1 is reacted with the functional group F 1 of the glycoprotein to covalently link the glycoprotein to the linker-conjugate,

wherein the linker-conjugate is a compound comprising a group according to formula (1)

 covalently linked to an alpha-end at one side of the formula (1) and an omega-end at the other side of the formula (1), the alpha-end comprising the reactive group Q 1 capable of reacting with the functional group F 1 present on the glycoprotein (B) and the omega-end comprising a target molecule (D) selected from the group consisting of an active substance, a reporter molecule, a polymer, a solid surface, a hydrogel, a nanoparticle, a microparticle and a biomolecule,

wherein:

the wavy lines indicate covalent linkages to the alpha end and the omega end,

a is 0 or 1; and

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 alkyl groups, C 3 -C 24 cycloalkyl groups, C 2 -C 24 (hetero)aryl groups, C 3 -C 24 alkyl(hetero)aryl groups and C 3 -C 24 (hetero)arylalkyl groups, the C 1 -C 24 alkyl groups, C 3 -C 24 cycloalkyl groups, C 2 -C 24 (hetero)aryl groups, C 3 -C 24 alkyl(hetero)aryl groups and C 3 -C 24 (hetero)arylalkyl groups optionally substituted and optionally interrupted by one or more heteroatoms selected from O, S and NR 3 wherein R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1 -C 4 alkyl groups, or R 1 is a second target molecule D, wherein the second target molecule is optionally connected to N via a spacer moiety; and

wherein Q 1 is a (hetero)cyclooctynyl group or a bicycle[6.1.0]non-4-yn-9yl] group, and F 1 is an azide group.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in the group according to formula (1), a is 0.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in the group according to formula (1), a is 1.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the target molecule is an active substance, a reporter molecule or a polymer.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction is a cycloaddition.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the cycloaddition is a Diels-Alder reaction or a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the linker-conjugate has formula (4a) or (4b), or a salt thereof:

wherein:

a is independently 0 or 1;

b is independently 0 or 1;

c is 0 or 1;

d is 0 or 1;

e is 0 or 1;

f is an integer in the range of 1 to 150;

g is 0 or 1;

i is 0 or 1;

Sp 1 is a spacer moiety;

Sp 2 is a spacer moiety;

Sp 3 is a spacer moiety;

Sp 4 is a spacer moiety;

Z 1 is a connecting group that connects Q 1 or Sp 3 to Sp 2 , O or C(O) or N(R 1 );

Z 2 is a connecting group that connects D or Sp 4 to Sp 1 , N(R 1 ), O or C(O); and

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 alkyl groups, C 3 -C 24 cycloalkyl groups, C 2 -C 24 (hetero)aryl groups, C 3 -C 24 alkyl(hetero)aryl groups and C 3 -C 24 (hetero)arylalkyl groups, the C 1 -C 24 alkyl groups, C 3 -C 24 cycloalkyl groups, C 2 -C 24 (hetero)aryl groups, C 3 -C 24 alkyl(hetero)aryl groups and C 3 -C 24 (hetero)arylalkyl groups optionally substituted and optionally interrupted by one or more heteroatoms selected from O, S and NR 3 wherein R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1 -C 4 alkyl groups; or

R 1 is D, -[(Sp 1 ) b -(Z 2 ) e (Sp 4 ) i -D] or -[(Sp 2 ) c -(Z 1 ) d -(Sp 3 ) g -Q 1 ], wherein Sp 1 , Sp 2 , Sp 3 , Sp 4 , Z 1 , Z 2 , D, Q 1 , b, c, d, e, g and i are as defined above.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein Sp 1 , Sp 2 , Sp 3 and Sp 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of linear or branched C 1 -C 200 alkylene groups, C 2 -C 200 alkenylene groups, C 2 -C 200 alkynylene groups, C 3 -C 200 cycloalkylene groups, C 5 -C 200 cycloalkenylene groups, C 8 -C 200 cycloalkynylene groups, C 7 -C 200 alkylarylene groups, C 7 -C 200 arylalkylene groups, C 8 -C 200 arylalkenylene groups and C 9 -C 200 arylalkynylene groups, the alkylene groups, alkenylene groups, alkynylene groups, cycloalkylene groups, cycloalkenylene groups, cycloalkynylene groups, alkylarylene groups, arylalkylene groups, arylalkenylene groups and arylalkynylene groups being optionally substituted and optionally interrupted by one or more heteroatoms selected from the group of O, S and NR 3 , wherein R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 alkyl groups, C 2 -C 24 alkenyl groups, C 2 -C 24 alkynyl groups and C 3 -C 24 cycloalkyl groups, the alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups and cycloalkyl groups being optionally substituted.

9. The process according to claim 7 , wherein Z 1 and Z 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S—, —NR 2 —, —N═N—, —C(O)—, —C(O)NR 2 —, —O—C(O)—, —O—C(O)—O—, —O—C(O)—NR 2 , —NR 2 —C(O)—, —NR 2 —C(O)—O—, —NR 2 —C(O)—NR 2 —, —S—C(O)—, —S—C(O)—O—, —S—C(O)—NR 2 —, —S(O)—, —S(O) 2 —, —O—S(O) 2 —, —O—S(O) 2 —O—, —O—S(O) 2 —NR 2 —, —O—S(O)—, —O—S(O)—O—, —O—S(O)—NR 2 —, —O—NR 2 —C(O)—, —O—NR 2 —C(O)—O—, —O—NR 2 —C(O)—NR 2 —, —NR 2 —O—C(O)—, —NR 2 —O—C(O)—O—, —NR 2 —O—C(O)—NR 2 —, —O—NR 2 —C(S)—, —O—NR 2 —C(S)—O—, —O—NR 2 —C(S)—NR 2 —, —NR 2 —O—C(S)—, —NR 2 —O—C(S)—O—, —NR 2 —O—C(S)—NR 2 —, —O—C(S)—, —O—C(S)—O—, —O—C(S)—NR 2 —, —NR 2 —C(S)—, —NR 2 —C(S)—O—, —NR 2 —C(S)—NR 2 —, —S—S(O) 2 —, —S—S(O) 2 —O—, —S—S(O) 2 —NR 2 —, —NR 2 —O—S(O)—, —NR 2 —O—S(O)—O—, —NR 2 —O—S(O)—NR 2 —, —NR 2 —O—S(O) 2 —, —NR 2 —O—S(O) 2 —O—, —NR 2 —O—S(O) 2 —NR 2 —, —O—NR 2 —S(O)—, —O—NR 2 —S(O)—O—, —O—NR 2 —S(O)—NR 2 —, —O—NR 2 —S(O) 2 —O—, —O—NR 2 —S(O) 2 —NR 2 —, —O—NR 2 —S(O) 2 —, —O—P(O)(R 2 ) 2 —, —S—P(O)(R 2 ) 2 —, —NR 2 —P(O)(R 2 ) 2 — and combinations of two or more thereof, wherein R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 alkyl groups, C 2 -C 24 alkenyl groups, C 2 -C 24 alkynyl groups and C 3 -C 24 cycloalkyl groups, the alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups and cycloalkyl groups being optionally substituted.

10. The process according to claim 7 , wherein Sp 1 , Sp 2 , Sp a and Sp 4 , if present, are independently selected from the group consisting of linear or branched C 1 -C 20 alkylene groups, the alkylene groups being optionally substituted and optionally interrupted by one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, S and NR 3 , wherein R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1 -C 4 alkyl groups, and wherein Q 1 is a group of formula (9q), (9n), (9o), or (9p):

wherein U is O or NR 9 , and wherein the aromatic rings in (9n) are optionally O-sulfonylated at one or more positions and the rings of (9o) and (9p) are optionally halogenated at one or more positions.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the glycoprotein is an antibody.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the antibody specifically binds an antigen.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the antigen is a cancer related antigen.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the bioconjugate is an antibody-drug-conjugate.

15. A bioconjugate obtained by the process according to claim 1 .