Patent ID: 11865183
Assignee: POLYTHERICS LIMITED
Field: Pharmaceuticals (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC A  C | IPC A  C

Claim 4:
5. A process for the preparation of a conjugate as claimed in claim 1, comprising reacting a protein or peptide with a conjugating reagent, wherein said conjugating reagent comprises a functional group capable of reacting with the protein or peptide and also comprises a therapeutic agent and a linker which includes a unit of the formula ˜(CH2—CH2—O—)x˜ within a ring, in which x is a number from 2 to 50, said ring being attached via a single tethering atom within the ring to the rest of the linker, or said ring being attached via two tethering atoms within the ring to the rest of the linker at a single point, and wherein said conjugating reagent is represented schematically by the formula:, in which:
D represents said therapeutic agent;
each T independently represents a tethering atom in the ring;
PEG represents said unit of the formula ˜(CH2—CH2—O—)x˜ within a ring, in which
x is a number from 2 to 50; and
F represents a functional group for bonding to said protein or peptide, wherein the functional group is a maleimide or derivative thereof according to one of the following formulae:, , wherein the nitrogen atom of the maleimide ring is connected to the linker and L represents a leaving group.