IMMUNOGENIC COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING CONJUGATED CAPSULAR SACCHARIDE ANTIGENS AND USES THEREOF

Claims

Capsular saccharide conjugates (glycoconjugates), immunogenic compositions comprising such glycoconjugates and uses thereof.

1. A Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 9N glycoconjugate characterized in that it comprises a serotype 9N capsular polysaccharide, wherein the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of said polysaccharide before conjugation is between 50 kDa and 1,000 kDa, and wherein said serotype 9N glycoconjugate has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of between 1,500 kDa and 4,500 kDa.

26. An immunogenic composition characterized in that it comprises a 9N serotype glycoconjugate of Streptococcus pneumoniae according to any of paragraphs 1 to 25.

27. An immunogenic composition characterized in that it comprises a glycoconjugate of serotype 9N of Streptococcus pneumoniae according to any of paragraphs 1-25 and comprising glycoconjugates of 21 to 35 different serotypes of S. pneumoniae.

28. An immunogenic composition characterized in that it comprises a glycoconjugate of serotype 9N of Streptococcus pneumoniae according to paragraphs 1-25 and further comprising glycoconjugates of S. pneumoniae serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 6C, 8, 7C, 7F, 9V, 10A, 11A, 12F, 14, 15A, 15B, 16F, 17F, 18C, 19A, 19F, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 23F, 24F, 31, 33F, 35B and 38.

33. A method for preparing a glycoconjugate of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 9N, using click chemistry, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of (a) reacting an isolated saccharide of serotype 9N with a carbonic acid derivative and an azide ligand in an aprotic solvent to produce an activated azide saccharide (saccharide activation), (b) reacting a carrier protein with an agent containing an N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) portion and an alkyne group wherein the NHS portion reacts with the amino groups to form an amide linkage, thereby obtaining an alkyne-functionalized carrier protein (carrier protein activation), (c) reacting the activated azide saccharide of step (a) with the alkyne-activated carrier protein of step (b) via a Cu+1-mediated azide-alkene cycloaddition reaction to form a glycoconjugate.

34. A method for preparing a glycoconjugate of serotype 9N Streptococcus pneumoniae, characterized in that it comprises the step of: (a) reacting said serotype 9N saccharide with an oxidizing agent; (b) forming a compound of the activated saccharide of step (a) with a carrier protein; and (c) reacting the activated saccharide compound and the carrier protein with a reducing agent to form a glycoconjugate.