Method of preparing carboxylic acid functionalized polymers

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-09-29
NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030] The invention further provides an improvement in a method of preparing a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)polymer functionalized with a carboxyl group, by reaction of a tertiary ester reagent R(C═O)OR′, where R′ is a tertiary alkyl group and R comprises a functional group X, with a polymer PEG-Y, where Y is a functional group which reacts with X to f

Problems solved by technology

However, a persistent problem associated with preparation of carboxyl-functionalized polymers has been the difficulty in obtaining the desired polymer product at a sufficiently high purity level.
However, this approach provides mPEG acids of only about 85% purity, with the main contaminant being mPEG-OH, which cannot be separated from the mPEG carboxylic acid using typical purification methods such as precipitation, crystallization or extraction.
Removal of mPEG-OH requires the use of preparative ion exchange column chromatography, which is time consuming and expensive.
PEG carboxylic acids obtained commercially frequently contain residual amounts of PEG-OH, which complicates the preparation of derivatives or bioconjugates based on these materials.
However, use of trifluoroacetic acid can result in purification and product stability problems.
Trifluoroacetic acid is difficult to completely remove from the final carboxyl-functionalized polymer, particularly the amount of TFA suggested in the above-referenced patents.
The presence of residual trifluoroacetic acid results in poor product stability, due to degradation of the polymer caused by acid-promoted autoxidation.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,976 suggests distillation as a means for separating organic materials from the polymer product, even compounds with very low boiling points are difficult to remove from high molecular weight polymers using a distillation process, and the difficulty increases as the molecular weight of the polymer increases.

Method used

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  • Method of preparing carboxylic acid functionalized polymers
  • Method of preparing carboxylic acid functionalized polymers
  • Method of preparing carboxylic acid functionalized polymers

Examples

Experimental program
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Effect test

example 1

mPEG(30,000)-carboxylic acid

[0161] A solution of mPEG-30,000 (50 g, 0.00167 moles) (NOF Corporation) in toluene (600 ml) was azeotropically dried by distilling off 300 ml toluene. t-Butanol (70 ml), potassium tert-butoxide (95%, 1.75 g, 0.0148 moles, 8.9 fold excess) and tert-butyl bromoacetate (3.3 g, 0.0169 moles, 10.1 fold excess) were added, and the mixture was stirred overnight at 45° C. under argon atmosphere. The solvent was distilled off under reduced pressure, and the residue was dissolved in distilled water (1000 ml).

[0162] The pH of the aqueous solution was adjusted to 12 with 1 M sodium hydroxide, and the solution was stirred for 18 h, keeping the pH at 12 by periodic addition of 1M sodium hydroxide.

[0163] The pH was adjusted to 3 with 5% phosphoric acid, and the product was extracted with dichloromethane. The extract was dried with anhydrous magnesium sulfate and added to ethyl ether. The precipitated product was filtered off and dried under reduced pressure, giving ...

example 2

PEG(10,000)-dicarboxylic acid

[0166] PEG-10,000 (35.25 g, 0.00705 eq) (NOF Corporation) (terminated at both ends with hydroxyl) was dissolved in toluene (600 ml) and azeotropically dried by distilling off toluene. The residue was redissolved into anhydrous toluene (500 ml). tert-Butanol (40 ml), potassium tert-butoxide (4 g, 0.0356 moles, 5.1 fold excess) and anhydrous toluene (40 ml) were combined and added to the above reaction mixture, followed by stirring for about 3.5 hours. t-Butyl bromoacetate (7 ml, 0.0474 moles, 6.7 fold excess) was added, and the mixture was stirred overnight at 40° C. under argon atmosphere. The solvent was distilled off under reduced pressure, and the residue was dissolved in distilled water (1000 ml).

[0167] The pH of the aqueous solution was adjusted to 12.1 with 1M sodium hydroxide, and the solution was stirred overnight, keeping the pH at 12.1 by periodic addition of 1M sodium hydroxide.

[0168] The pH was adjusted to 1.0 with 1M hydrochloric acid, an...

example 3

PEG(5,000)-dicarboxylic acid

[0171] A solution of PEG-5,000 (35 g, 0.01400 equivalents) (NOF Corporation) in acetonitrile (800 ml) was azeotropically dried by distilling off acetonitrile, and the residue was redissolved into anhydrous toluene (300 ml). t-Butanol (50 ml), potassium tert-butoxide (4.7 g, 0.0419 moles, 2.99 fold excess), and anhydrous toluene (50 ml) were combined and added to the above reaction mixture, followed by about 3.5 hours of stirring. t-Butyl bromoacetate (7.2 ml, 0.0488 moles, 3.48 fold excess) was added, and the mixture was stirred 20 hrs at room temperature under an argon atmosphere. The solvent was distilled off under reduced pressure, and the residue was dissolved in distilled water (1000 ml).

[0172] The pH of the aqueous solution was adjusted to 12.0 with 1M sodium hydroxide, and the solution was stirred overnight, keeping the pH at 12.0 by periodic addition of 1M sodium hydroxide.

[0173] The pH was adjusted to 2.0 with 1M hydrochloric acid and the prod...

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Abstract

Methods for preparing water soluble, non-peptidic polymers carrying carboxyl functional groups, particularly carboxylic acid functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers, are disclosed, as are the products of these methods. In general, an ester reagent R(C═O)OR′, where R′ is a tertiary group and R comprises a functional group X, is reacted with a water soluble, non-peptidic polymer POLY-Y, where Y is a functional group which reacts with X to form a covalent bond, to form a tertiary ester of the polymer, which is then treated with a strong base in aqueous solution, to form a carboxylate salt of the polymer. Typically, this carboxylate salt is then treated with an inorganic acid in aqueous solution, to convert the carboxylate salt to a carboxylic acid, thereby forming a carboxylic acid functionalized polymer.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 517,794, filed Nov. 6, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to methods for preparing water soluble, non-peptidic polymers carrying carboxyl functional groups, particularly carboxylic acid functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)polymers. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) derivatives activated with electrophilic groups are useful for coupling to nucleophilic groups, such as amino groups, of biologically active molecules. In particular, active esters and other carboxylic acid derivatives of PEG have been used to attach PEG to proteins bearing amino groups. [0004] PEG molecules having terminal carboxymethyl groups have been described, for example, by Martinez et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,567, Veronese et al., Journal of Controlled Release 10:145-154 (1989), and Bückmann et al., Makromol. Chem. 1...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A61K31/765C08F8/00C08F251/00C08F261/04C08F265/00C08F271/00C08F283/06C08F283/10C08F289/00C08F291/00C08G65/30C08G65/332
CPCA61K31/765C08F251/00C08F261/04C08F265/00C08F271/00C08G63/91C08F289/00C08F291/00C08G65/30C08G65/332C08F283/06C08G65/00C08G65/3322C08G65/3346
InventorHARRIS, J. MILTONKOZLOWSKI, ANTONIGUO, LIHONG
OwnerNEKTAR THERAPEUTICS INC