Patent ID: 8012978

Claim:
A prodrug of the following formula: in which Y represents a leaving group selected from the group consisting of a halide, methanesulfonate, para-toluenesulfonate, trifluoromethane sulfonate, mono nitro and dinitro phenolate; wherein R, R′, R 1 , R 2 and R 6 are each independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 3 linear alkyl, methoxy, hydroxyl, primary amino, secondary amino, tertiary amino, or amido or a linker that provides for linkage of the prodrug to a cell binding agent, provided that at least one of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 and R 6 is a linker; and wherein R 7 is a sulfonic acid containing phenyl carbamate of formula XII: where R 9 is H or a branched, cyclic or linear alkyl; R 10 , R 11 , R 12 and R 13 are identical or different with at least one being a —X—SO 3 − M + group with M + being H + or the cation deriving from an atom of the IA group, and X being a direct link, or a spacer chosen from C1 to C4 linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, —O-alkyl, —S-alkyl or aminoalkyl and the other R 10 , R 11 , R 12 or R 13 being H, a C 1 -C 6 branched or linear alkyl, —O-alkyl, —S-alkyl, hydroxyl, primary amino, secondary amino, or amido, halide, nitro, or azido; or an optical isomer, racemate, diastereomer or enantiomer of such prodrug, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of such prodrug, optical isomer, racemate, diastereomer or enantiomer.