BicycleTx Limited

The present invention relates to polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold. In particular, the invention describes peptides which are high affinity binders of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), particularly the spike protein S1 of SARS-COV-2. The invention also includes pharmaceutical compositions comprising said polypeptides and to the use of said polypeptides in suppressing or treating a disease or disorder mediated by infection of SARS-COV-2 or for providing prophylaxis to a subject at risk of infection of SARS-COV-2.

A peptide ligand specific for MT1-MMP comprising a polypeptide comprising two diaminopropionic acid (Dap) or N-alkyldiaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap) residues, and a third residue selected from cysteine, Dap or N-AlkDap, separated by at least two loop sequences, and a molecular scaffold, the peptide being linked to the scaffold by covalent alkylamino linkages with the Dap or N-AlkDap residues of the polypeptide and by covalent thioether linkages with the cysteine when the third residue is cysteine, such that two polypeptide loops are formed on the molecular scaffold, wherein the peptide ligand comprises an amino acid sequence of formula (II): (II) (SEQ ID NO: 1) -A 1 -X 1 -U/O 2 -X 3 -X 4 -G 5 -A 2 -E 6 -D 7 -F 8 -Y 9 -X 10 -X 11 -A 3 - or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; wherein: A 1 , A 2 , and A 3 are independently cysteine, L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), N-beta-alkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap), or N-beta-haloalkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-HAlkDap), provided that at least one of A 1 , A 2 , and A 3 is Dap, N-AlkDap or N-HAlkDap; X represents any amino acid residue; U represents a polar, uncharged amino acid residue selected from N, C, Q, M, S and T; and O represents a non-polar aliphatic amino acid residue selected from G, A, I, L, P and V.

The present invention relates to polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold. In particular, the invention describes peptides which bind to P-selectin. The invention also relates to multimeric binding complexes of polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold that are binders of P-selectin. The invention also includes drug conjugates comprising said peptides and complexes, conjugated to one or more effector and/or functional groups, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said peptide ligands, complexes and drug conjugates and the use of said peptide ligands and drug conjugates in preventing, suppressing or treating a disease or disorder mediated by a cell adhesion molecule, such as P-selectin, including vaso-occlusive crisis and sickle cell disease-related conditions, cancer, or COVID-19.

The present invention relates to polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold. In particular, the invention describes peptides which bind to P-selectin. The invention also relates to multimeric binding complexes of polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold that are binders of P-selectin. The invention also includes drug conjugates comprising said peptides and complexes, conjugated to one or more effector and/or functional groups, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said peptide ligands, complexes and drug conjugates and the use of said peptide ligands and drug conjugates in preventing, suppressing or treating a disease or disorder mediated by a cell adhesion molecule, such as P-selectin, including vaso-occlusive crisis and sickle cell disease-related conditions, cancer, or COVID-19.

The present invention relates to polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold. In particular, the invention describes peptides which are high affinity binders of the COVID-19 nucleocapsid protein (N-protein). The invention also includes pharmaceutical compositions comprising said polypeptides and to the use of said polypeptides in suppressing or treating a disease or disorder mediated by the COVID-19 nucleocapsid protein (N-protein), such as infection of COVID-19 or for providing prophylaxis to a subject at risk of infection of COVID-19.

A peptide ligand specific for MT1-MMP comprising a polypeptide comprising two diaminopropionic acid (Dap) or N-alkyldiaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap) residues, and a third residue selected from cysteine, Dap or N-AlkDap, separated by at least two loop sequences, and a molecular scaffold, the peptide being linked to the scaffold by covalent alkylamino linkages with the Dap or N-AlkDap residues of the polypeptide and by covalent thioether linkages with the cysteine when the third residue is cysteine, such that two polypeptide loops are formed on the molecular scaffold, wherein the peptide ligand comprises an amino acid sequence of formula (II): -A 1 -X 1 -U/O 2 -X 3 -X 4 -G 5 -A 2 -E 6 -D 7 -F 8 -Y 9 -X 10 -X 11 -A 3 - (SEQ ID NO: 1) (II) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; wherein: A 1 , A 2 , and A 3 are independently cysteine, L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), N-beta-alkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap), or N-beta-haloalkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-HAlkDap), provided that at least one of A 1 , A 2 , and A 3 is Dap, N-AlkDap or N-HAlkDap; X represents any amino acid residue; U represents a polar, uncharged amino acid residue selected from N, C, Q, M, S and T; and O represents a non-polar aliphatic amino acid residue selected from G, A, I, L, P and V.

A compound comprising at least one looped peptide structure attached via at least one alkylamino linkage to a scaffold. Preferably the looped peptide structure is a Bicycle structure comprising two peptide loops attached to the scaffold via two alkylamino linkages and one thioether linkage, one of the linkages being common to both loops. Also provided is a method of making a compound comprising at least one looped peptide structure attached via at least one alkylamino linkages to a scaffold, the method comprising: providing a peptide having at least two residues selected from cysteine, diaminopropionic acid, D-N-Alkyldiaminopropionic acid and β-N-Alkyldiaminopropionic acid, provided that at least one of the residues is diaminopropionic acid, D-N-Alkyldiaminopropionic acid and β-N-Alkyldiaminopropionic acid; providing a scaffold molecule having at least two reactive sites for forming alkylamino or thioether linkages with the said at least two residues; and forming said linkages between the peptide and the scaffold molecule.

The present invention relates to polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold. In particular, the invention describes peptides which bind to P-selectin. The invention also relates to multimeric binding complexes of polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold that are binders of P-selectin. The invention also includes drug conjugates comprising said peptides and complexes, conjugated to one or more effector and/or functional groups, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said peptide ligands, complexes and drug conjugates and the use of said peptide ligands and drug conjugates in preventing, suppressing or treating a disease or disorder mediated by a cell adhesion molecule, such as P-selectin, including vaso-occlusive crisis and sickle cell disease-related conditions, cancer, or COVID-19.

A peptide ligand specific for prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) comprising a polypeptide comprising three residues selected from cysteine, L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), N-beta-alkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap) and N-beta-haloalkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-HAlkDap), with the proviso that at least one of said three residues is selected from Dap, N-AlkDap or N-HAlkDap, the said three residues being separated by at least two loop sequences, and a molecular scaffold, the peptide being linked to the scaffold by covalent alkylamino linkages with the Dap or N-AlkDap or N-HAlkDap residues of the polypeptide and by thioether linkages with the cysteine residues of the polypeptide when the said three residues include cysteine, such that two polypeptide loops are formed on the molecular scaffold.

The invention relates to novel linkers which comprise two or three basic, acidic or hydrophobic natural or non-natural amino acids. The invention also relates to drug conjugates comprising said linkers, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said drug conjugates and to the use of said drug conjugates in preventing, suppressing or treating cancer.