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Graham JC, Trejo-Martin A, Chilton ML, Kostal J, Bercu J, Beutner GL, Bruen US, Dolan DG, Gomez S, Hillegass J, Nicolette J, Schmitz M. An Evaluation of the Occupational Health Hazards of Peptide Couplers. Chem Res Toxicol 2022; 35:1011-1022. [PMID: 35532537 PMCID: PMC9214767 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Peptide couplers (also known as amide bond-forming reagents or coupling reagents) are broadly used in organic chemical syntheses, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. Yet, occupational health hazards associated with this chemical class are largely unexplored, which is disconcerting given the intrinsic reactivity of these compounds. Several case studies involving occupational exposures reported adverse respiratory and dermal health effects, providing initial evidence of chemical sensitization. To address the paucity of toxicological data, a pharmaceutical cross-industry task force was formed to evaluate and assess the potential of these compounds to cause eye and dermal irritation as well as corrosivity and dermal sensitization. The goal of our work was to inform health and safety professionals as well as pharmaceutical and organic chemists of the occupational health hazards associated with this chemical class. To that end, 25 of the most commonly used peptide couplers and five hydrolysis products were selected for in vivo, in vitro, and in silico testing. Our findings confirmed that dermal sensitization is a concern for this chemical class with 21/25 peptide couplers testing positive for dermal sensitization and 15 of these being strong/extreme sensitizers. We also found that dermal corrosion and irritation (8/25) as well as eye irritation (9/25) were health hazards associated with peptide couplers and their hydrolysis products (4/5 were dermal irritants or corrosive and 4/5 were eye irritants). Resulting outcomes were synthesized to inform decision making in peptide coupler selection and enable data-driven hazard communication to workers. The latter includes harmonized hazard classifications, appropriate handling recommendations, and accurate safety data sheets, which support the industrial hygiene hierarchy of control strategies and risk assessment. Our study demonstrates the merits of an integrated, in vivo -in silico analysis, applied here to the skin sensitization endpoint using the Computer-Aided Discovery and REdesign (CADRE) and Derek Nexus programs. We show that experimental data can improve predictive models by filling existing data gaps while, concurrently, providing computational insights into key initiating events and elucidating the chemical structural features contributing to adverse health effects. This interactive, interdisciplinary approach is consistent with Green Chemistry principles that seek to improve the selection and design of less hazardous reagents in industrial processes and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Graham
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | | | - Martyn L Chilton
- Lhasa Limited, Granary Wharf House, 2 Canal Wharf, Leeds LS11 5PS, UK
| | - Jakub Kostal
- The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052, United States
| | - Joel Bercu
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, California 94404, United States
| | - Gregory L Beutner
- Bristol Myers Squibb, 1 Squibb Drive, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Uma S Bruen
- Organon, Inc., 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302, United States
| | - David G Dolan
- Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320-1799, United States
| | - Stephen Gomez
- Theravance Biopharma US, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jedd Hillegass
- Bristol Myers Squibb, 1 Squibb Drive, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - John Nicolette
- AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Matthew Schmitz
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 35 Landsdowne St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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McKnelly KJ, Sokol W, Nowick JS. Anaphylaxis Induced by Peptide Coupling Agents: Lessons Learned from Repeated Exposure to HATU, HBTU, and HCTU. J Org Chem 2019; 85:1764-1768. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b03280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kate J. McKnelly
- Department of Chemistry & Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - William Sokol
- Department of Chemistry & Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - James S. Nowick
- Department of Chemistry & Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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