It is becoming increasingly clear that site-specific conjugation offers significant advantages over conventional conjugation chemistries used to make antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs). Site-specific payload placement allows for control over both the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) and the conjugation site, both of which play an important role in governing the pharmacokinetics (PK), disposition, and efficacy of the ADC. In addition to the DAR and site of conjugation, linker composition also plays an important role in the properties of an ADC. We have previously reported a novel site-specific conjugation platform comprising linker payloads designed to selectively react with site-specifically engineered aldehyde tags on an antibody backbone. This chemistry results in a stable C–C bond between the antibody and the cytotoxin payload, providing a uniquely stable connection with respect to the other linker chemistries used to generate ADCs. The flexibility and versatility of the aldehyde tag conjugation platform has enabled us to undertake a systematic evaluation of the impact of conjugation site and linker composition on ADC properties. Here, we describe the production and characterization of a panel of ADCs bearing the aldehyde tag at different locations on an IgG1 backbone conjugated using Hydrazino-iso-Pictet-Spengler (HIPS) chemistry. We demonstrate that in a panel of ADCs with aldehyde tags at different locations, the site of conjugation has a dramatic impact on in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetic behavior in rodents; this advantage translates to an improved safety profile in rats as compared to a conventional lysine conjugate.

There is a need for facile chemistries that allow for chemo- and regioselectivity in bioconjugation reactions. To address this need, we are pioneering site-specific bioconjugation methods that use formylglycine as a bioorthogonal handle on a protein surface. Here we introduce aldehyde-specific bioconjugation chemistry, the trapped-Knoevenagel ligation. The speed and stability of the trapped-Knoevenagel ligation further advances the repertoire of aldehyde-based bioconjugations and expands the toolbox for site-specific protein modifications. The trapped-Knoevenagel ligation reaction can be run at near neutral pH in the absence of catalysts to produce conjugates that are stable under physiological conditions. Using this new ligation, we generated an antibody-drug conjugate that demonstrates excellent efficacy in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Aerobic formylglycine-generating enzyme (FGE) converts cysteine to formylglycine in vivo.Results: Purified FGE requires preactivation with copper to convert cysteine to formylglycine in vitro.Conclusion: FGE is a metalloenzyme. It is also a useful biocatalyst for the production of proteins that contain aldehyde tags.Significance: Understanding FGE biochemistry informs research on sulfatases and enables expanded biotechnology applications of the aldehyde tag.

Expanded ligation techniques are sorely needed to generate unique linkages for the growing field of functionally enhanced proteins. To address this need, we present a unique chemical ligation that involves the double addition of a pyrazolone moiety with an aldehyde-labeled protein. This ligation occurs via a tandem Knoevenagel condensation−Michael addition. A pyrazolone reacts with an aldehyde to generate an enone, which undergoes subsequent attack by a second pyrazolone to generate a bis-pyrazolone species. This rapid and facile ligation technique is performed under mild conditions in the absence of catalyst to generate new architectures that were previously inaccessible via conventional ligation reactions. Using this unique ligation, we generated three site-specifically labeled antibody−drug conjugates (ADCs) with an average of four drugs to one antibody. The in vitro and in vivo efficacies along with pharmacokinetic data of the site-specific ADCs are reported.

Hematologically derived tumors make up ∼10% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases in the United States. Of these, the non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) designation describes a diverse group of cancers that collectively rank among the top 10 most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide. Although long-term survival trends are improving, there remains a significant unmet clinical need for treatments to help patients with relapsed or refractory disease, one cause of which is drug efflux through upregulation of xenobiotic pumps, such as MDR1. CD22 is a clinically validated target for the treatment of NHL, but no anti-CD22 agents have yet been approved for this indication. Recent approval of an anti-CD22 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory ALL supports the rationale for targeting this protein. An opportunity exists for a next-generation anti-CD22 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) to address unmet medical needs in the relapsed/refractory NHL population. We describe a site-specifically conjugated antibody-drug conjugate, made using aldehyde tag technology, targeted against CD22 and bearing a noncleavable maytansine payload that is resistant to MDR1-mediated efflux. The construct was efficacious against CD22 NHL xenografts and could be repeatedly dosed in cynomolgus monkeys at 60 mg/kg with no observed significantly adverse effects. Exposure to total ADC at these doses (as assessed by AUC) indicated that the exposure needed to achieve efficacy was below tolerable limits. Together, the data suggest that this drug has the potential to be used effectively in patients with CD22 tumors that have developed MDR1-related resistance to prior therapies. .