Human interleukin-2 conjugates biased for the interleukin-2 receptor beta GAMMAc dimer and conjugated to a nonpeptidic, water-soluble polymer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827684-B2
Application number	US-202117234844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2021
Priority date	Apr 22, 2020
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) conjugates comprising at least one or more amino acid substitutions that bias binding to the IL-2 receptor βγc dimer over binding the IL-2 receptor αβγc trimer and a non-natural amino acid at or near the N-terminus conjugated to a water-soluble polymer are described. The IL-2 conjugates are useful for treatment and prevention of cell proliferation and cancer in a patient.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An interleukin 2 (IL-2) conjugate comprising an IL-2 polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence with at least 80% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 53 and further comprising:
(i) one or more amino acid substitutions that reduce(s) affinity of the IL-2 polypeptide for the human IL-2 receptor αβγ c trimer (IL-2Rαβγ c ) relative to wild-type human IL-2; and
(ii) a substitution of an amino acid at or near the N-terminus of the IL-2 polypeptide with a non-natural amino acid comprising an azide group, wherein the azide group is conjugated to an alkyne group of a nonpeptidic, water-soluble polymer having the formula

wherein n is about 681; and wherein the IL-2 polypeptide has substantially similar binding affinity for the human IL-2 receptor βγ c dimer (IL-βγ c ) relative to wild-type human IL-2.

2. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the IL-2 polypeptide comprises at least amino acids E15, H16, L19, D20, D84, N88, V91, Q126, T123, and 1129, wherein the amino acid positions correspond to the positions set forth in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53 according to numbering scheme B.

3. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the IL-2 polypeptide conjugate has no detectable binding to the human IL-2 receptor α monomer (IL-2Rα) as determined by a Surface Plasmon Resonance assay.

4. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions are located at amino acid positions independently selected from the group consisting of K34, T36, R37, T40, F41, K42, F43, Y44, E60, E61, K63, P64, E67, L71, M103, C104, and Y106, wherein the amino acid substitution positions correspond to the position of the amino acid in the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 53 according to numbering scheme A.

5. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 4 , wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions in the IL-2 polypeptide are at positions R37 and F41.

6. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 5 , wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions in the IL-2 polypeptide are R37A and F41K.

7. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the IL-2 polypeptide further includes an amino acid substitution of the cysteine residue at position 124 with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of A and S, wherein the amino acid position corresponds to the position of the amino acid in the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 53.

8. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the IL-2 polypeptide further includes an N-terminal alanine residue or an N-terminal methionine residue.

9. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the non-natural amino acid is substituted for an amino acid at position P1, T2, S3, S4, S5, T6, K7, K8, or T9 or linked to the N-terminal amino acid by an amide linkage, wherein the amino acid position corresponds to the position of the amino acid of SEQ ID NO: 53 according to numbering scheme A.

10. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 9 , wherein the non-natural amino acid is located at the amino acid position corresponding to position S4 of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the amino acid position is according to numbering scheme A.

11. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the non-natural amino acid is selected from the group consisting of p-azidomethyl-L-phenylalanine, p-azido-L-phenylalanine, and N6-azidoethoxy-L-lysine.

12. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the non-natural amino acid is p-azidomethyl-L-phenylalanine.

13. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 , wherein the IL-2 conjugate comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO:
11, SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO: 13, SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 17, SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, or SEQ ID NO: 21.

14. An interleukin 2 (IL-2) conjugate comprising the formula

wherein n is about 681, or a regioisomer thereof comprising the formula

wherein n is about 681.

15. A composition comprising:
the IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.

16. A method for treating a proliferative disease or cancer in an individual, comprising:
administering a therapeutically effective amount of the IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 or composition of claim 15 to an individual in need thereof to treat the proliferative disease or cancer in the individual.

17. A combination therapy for treating a proliferative disease or cancer in an individual, comprising:
administering a therapeutically effective amount of the IL-2 conjugate of claim 1 or composition of claim 15 to an individual in need thereof, and
administering a therapeutically effective amount of a therapeutic agent to the individual, to treat the proliferative disease or cancer in the individual.

18. The combination therapy of claim 17 , wherein the therapeutic agent is an anti-PD1 antibody or anti-PDL1 antibody.

19. The combination therapy of claim 17 , wherein the IL-2 conjugate or composition is administered before the therapeutic agent is administered.

20. The combination therapy of claim 17 , wherein the IL-2 conjugate or composition is administered after the therapeutic agent is administered.

21. The combination therapy of claim 17 , wherein the IL-2 conjugate or composition is administered concurrently with the therapeutic agent.

22. An interleukin 2 (IL-2) conjugate comprising an IL-2 polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence with at least 80% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 53 and further comprising:
(i) one or more amino acid substitutions located at an amino acid position selected from the group consisting of K34, T36, R37, T40, F41, K42, F43, Y44, E60, E61, K63, P64, E67, L71, M103, C104, and Y106; and
(ii) a substitution of an amino acid at or near the N-terminus of the IL-2 polypeptide with a non-natural amino acid comprising an azide group, wherein the azide group is conjugated to an alkyne group of a nonpeptidic, water-soluble polymer having the formula

wherein n is about 681; and, wherein the amino acid positions correspond to the positions set forth in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53.

23. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 22 , wherein the IL-2 polypeptide amino acid sequence comprises at least amino acids E15, H16, L19, D20, D84, N88, V91, Q126, T123, and 1129, wherein the amino acid positions correspond to the positions set forth in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53 according to numbering scheme B.

24. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 22 , wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions in the IL-2 polypeptide are at positions R37 and F41.

25. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 24 , wherein the one or more amino acid substitutions in the IL-2 polypeptide are R37A and F41K.

26. The IL-2 conjugate of claim 22 , wherein the IL-2 polypeptide further includes an amino acid substitution of the cysteine residue at position 124 with an amino acid selec

Assignees

• Merck Sharp & Dohme Llc

Inventors

• Abrahams Cristina
• Bowman Edward
• Li Xiaofan
• Lin Songnian
• Solis Willy
• Stafford Ryan
• Willingham Aarron
• Yam Alice
• Yang Junhao
• Yin Gang

Classifications

• C07K14/55 Primary

  IL-2 · CPC title

• A61K38/2013

  IL-2 · CPC title

• A61K47/545

  Heterocyclic compounds (A61K47/558 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61K47/60 Primary

  the organic macromolecular compound being a polyoxyalkylene oligomer, polymer or dendrimer, e.g. PEG, PPG, PEO or polyglycerol · CPC title

• A61P5/00

  Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system · CPC title