Patent ID: 7476669

Claim:
A method for inducing cell death in selected cell populations comprising contacting target cells or tissue containing target cells with an effective amount of a cytotoxic agent, wherein the cytotoxic agent is one or more taxanes covalently bonded to a cell binding agent through a linking group, wherein at least one of said taxanes is a compound represented by formula (I): wherein: R 1 ″ is H, R 1 and R 1 ′ are the same or different and are F, NO 2 , CN, Cl, CHF 2 , CF 3 , —NR 7 R 8 or —OR 9 wherein R 7 and R 8 are the same or different and are linear alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, branched or cyclic alkyl having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, or simple or substituted phenyl or naphthyl and R 9 is linear alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or branched or cyclic alkyl having 3 to 10 carbon atoms; R 2 is —CONR 10 R 11 , wherein R 10 and R 11 are the same or different and are H, linear alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, branched or cyclic alkyl having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, or aryl; R 3 is aryl, linear alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or branched or cyclic alkyl having 3 to 10 carbon atoms; R 4 is —OC(CH 3 ) 3 or phenyl; R 5 is —(CH 2 ) n SZ, —CO(CH 2 ) n SZ, —(CH 2 ) n CH(CH 3 )SZ, —CO(CH 2 ) n CH(CH 3 )SZ, —(CH 2 ) n C(CH 3 ) 2 SZ, —CO(CH 2 ) n C(CH 3 ) 2 SZ, —CONR 12 (CH 2 ) n SZ, —CONR 12 (CH 2 ) n CH(CH 3 )SZ, —CONR 12 (CH 2 ) n C(CH 3 ) 2 SZ, —CO-morpholino-XSZ, —CO-piperidino-XSZ, —CO-piperazino-XSZ, or —CO—N-methylpiperazino-XSZ, wherein Z is H or SR, wherein R and R 12 are the same or different and are linear alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, branched or cyclic alkyl having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, or simple or substituted phenyl, naphthyl or heterocyclic, and R 12 in addition can be H, X is linear alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or branched alkyl having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 10; and R 6 is H; wherein the target cells express a marker that binds to the cell binding agent, and wherein the target cells are human cancer cells.