BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to novel carboxyalkyl 1 -position derivatives of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and methods for preparation of these derivatives. The derivatives include immunogens used to stimulate antibody production and polypeptide conjugates useful in immunoassays for detecting LSD. Also provided are hapten intermediates used in the synthesis ofthe immunogens and polypeptide conjugates and a non-isotopic immunoassay for the determination of LSD.

Although there is widespread public perception that use of LSD is no longer a societal problem, there is considerable evidence that this illicit drug continues to be used, and in some segments of the population, its use is increasing. See Bonner, Drug Detection Report. 1 :5 (1992). LSD was one ofthe 20 controlled substances most commonly encountered in emergency rooms across the nation in 1985, reflecting continuing abuse and trafficking of this illicit drug. In the United States, seizures of LSD by the Drug Enforcement Agency doubled in 1990 over the previous year, and in England, seizures of LSD have steadily increased since mid- 1988. See Microgram 21:228 (1990). Further cause for concern are reports that LSD is particularly popular among adolescents, and in some areas, it exceeds cocaine in popularity. See Seligmann, Newsweek, February 3rd, p. 66, (1992). Factors that have contributed to the continued use of LSD are its wide availability, low cost, and the difficulty of detecting LSD use by analysis of body fluids. Despite the long history of abuse associated with LSD, little is known concerning the disposition of LSD in humans. The lack of pharmacokinetic data on LSD is partly due to the technical difficulty of detecting and measuring the drug in physiological specimens. LSD is not considered highly toxic, although at least two cases where death was apparently a result of LSD toxicity have been reported. However, the major reason many consider LSD to be highly dangerous is that it can have serious psychological and psychotic effects which sometimes cause users to commit irrational acts resulting in injury or death. LSD is an extremely potent

psychedelic drug that acts primarily on the central nervous system; only the _< i-isomer of the drug is pharmacologically active. Oral doses as low as 25 μg can cause central nervous system disturbances such as hallucinations, distortions in sensory perception, mood changes and dream-like thought processes, as well as psychotic reactions in apparently predisposed individuals. Therefore, concentrations of LSD and LSD metabolites in blood and urine are likely to be very low. The detection of LSD in body fluids of users is especially difficult because the quantities typically ingested arc very small and because the drug is rapidly and extensively converted to metabolic products. Furthermore, the drug's low volatility, its thermal instability, and its tendency to undergo adsorptive losses during gas chromatographic analysis all contribute to the difficulty of developing a method for confirmation of LSD in body fluids.

LSD is a natural product of the rye fungus Claviceps and was first prepared synthetically in 1938. Its psychological effects were discovered following accidental ingestion. Chemically, LSD is an ergot alkaloid and, like other compounds of this class, contains lysergic acid as the basis of its structure. Structurally similar to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), LSD is thought to exert its psychotomimetic effects through antagonism of serotonin activity in the brain stem. Little is known about the tissue distribution, metabolism and excretion of LSD in humans. LSD is absorbed fairly rapidly by the gastrointestinal tract, and its plasma half-life has been calculated to be about 3 hours in man. Animal studies indicate that LSD is inactivated via hepatic oxidation. It is extensively metabolized with only negligible amounts of unchanged drug appearing in the urine and feces. with most of the metabolites being excreted in the urine. Possible metabolic transformations may be hydrolysis to lysergic acid, N- demethylation to nor-LSD and oxidation to 2-oxo-LSD. Studies with urine samples from human volunteers receiving LSD demonstrate that the drug or its closely related metabolites can be detected in the urine by radioimmunoassay (RIA) for several days following administration.

Although continued illicit use of LSD has stimulated efforts to develop effective analytical methods for the detection of the drug and its metabolites in body fluids from suspected LSD users, the methods currently available are complicated, time-consuming, expensive to perform and plagued by other problems. These methods include high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

(GC/MS) and radioimmunoassay. One problem faced by laboratories involved in the determination of LSD is the strong tendency for LSD and derivatized LSD to undergo adsorptive losses when subjected to gas chromatography. This behavior often prevents detection of the drug at the sub-nanogram/rnilliliter concentrations normally encountered in body fluids from LSD users.

Commercial RIAs for LSD are available from several sources, including ABUSCREEN LSD assay (® Roche Diagnostics Systems, Nutley, NJ) and COAT-A- COUNT LSD assay (® Diagnostic Products Corp., Los Angeles, CA), and these products serve as a useful and relatively inexpensive method of screening for the presence ofthe drug. However, RIAs are not totally specific for LSD, so that an RIA- positive specimen still has to be confirmed by a second and more specific assay if the results of the analysis could have punitive consequences. The manufacturers' recommended cut-off concentration for considering a sample positive for LSD is 0.5 ng/ml, although lower cut-offs have been used in investigations where legal consequences were not a concern. The actual concentration of LSD in RIA-positive urine specimens is generally lower than that indicated by the RIA, and often considerably lower. Presumably the higher concentrations indicated by RIA are due to the cross-reactivity of LSD metabolites to the RIA antisera, but this conclusion cannot be substantiated until the major LSD metabolites in urine have been identified and their cross-reactivities determined.

In testing for other drugs of abuse, immunoassays, particularly competitive binding immunoassays, have proven to be especially advantageous. In competitive binding immunoassays, an analyte in a biological sample competes with a labeled reagent, or analyte analog, or tracer, for a limited number of receptor binding sites on antibodies specific for the analyte and analyte analog. Enzymes such as β-galactosidase and peroxidase, fluorescent molecules such as fluorescein compounds, and radioactive compounds such as " I are common labeling substances used as tracers. The concentration of analyte in the sample determines the amount of analyte analog which will bind to the antibody. The amount of analyte analog that will bind is inversel} proportional to the concentration of analyte in the sample, because the analyte and the analyte analog each bind to the antibody in proportion to their respective

concentrations. The amount of free or bound analyte analog can then be determined by methods appropriate to the particular label being used.

One type of competitive binding immunoassay is based upon the reassociation of enzymatically inactive polypeptide fragments to form active enzyme as a step of generating a detectable signal utilized to determine the amount of analyte present in a sample. This type of assay, known as cloned enzyme donor immunoassay (CEDIA), is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,708,929. In particular, a β-galactosidase enzyme donor polypeptide combines with a β-galactosidase enzyme acceptor polypeptide to form active β-galactosidase enzyme. Conjugating a hapten, or a small analyte or an analyte analog, to the enzyme donor polypeptide at certain sites does not affect the ability to form active β-galactosidase by a complementation reaction and hence does not affect the rate of β-galactosidase activity when in the presence of a substrate for β- galactosidase. However, when the enzyme donor-hapten conjugate is bound by anti- analyte antibody, the complementation rate is impeded, and thereby the enzyme- catalyzed reaction rate during the initial phase ofthe reaction is reduced. This reduction in enzyme-catalyzed reaction rate can be monitored and has been used successfully to determine a plurality of analytes using the principle of competitive inhibition whereby enzyme donor-analyte conjugate present in a reaction mixture and analyte present in a sample compete for anti-analyte antibody prior to the addition of enzyme acceptor. The complementation rate of β-galactosidase formation, and hence enzyme-catalyzed reaction rate, is increased as the amount of analyte present in the sample is increased.

For the development of non-isotopic immunoassays which detect LSD and LSD metabolites, defined hapten derivatives are needed for preparation of immunogens and labeled conjugates. In particular, hapten derivatives at the 1 -position ofthe lysergamide moiety are desirable because generally accepted strategy for preparing immunogens involves attachment of a hapten to the carrier substance at a position that is distant from the site in the molecule where immuno-specificity is desired, i.e.. a site on the other side ofthe molecule from the ethyl side chains at the 8-position. The preparation of antibodies to LSD for use in immunoassays to determine the drug has been accomplished in the prior art by several different approaches. One approach has been to couple the carboxyl group of lysergic acid directly to an

immunogenic carrier protein, i.e. poly(L-lysine) or human serum albumin using carbodiimides. See Van Vunakis, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 68: 1483-87 (1971); Loeffler, JL Pharm. Sci.. 62:1817-20 (1973); and Voss. Psychopharmacologia 26: 140-45 ( 19721. This approach was used in developing early RIA methods for LSD determination, but the antibodies that were produced were characterized by poor specificity for LSD and high cross-reactivities with other ergot alkaloids.

A second approach has been to couple LSD to an immunogenic carrier protein via one of the ethyl side chains at the 8-position. See Ratcliffe, Clin. Chem. 23:169-74 (1977). In another approach, bis-diazo benzidine was used to couple the carrier proteins via an aromatic substitution. See Luderer, Bull. New Jersey Acad. Sci. 19:8- 10 (1974).

Finally, LSD has been coupled to an immunogenic carrier protein via a linker arm using a reaction between LSD, formaldehyde and bovine serum albumin. See Castro, Res. Commun. Chem. Pathol. Pharmacol. 6:879-86 (1973); Taunton-Rigby, Science 181 : 165-6 (1973); and Ratcliffe, Clin. Chem. 23: 169-74 ( 1977). These authors reported the reaction to be a Mannich aminoalkylation reaction, the product of which they postulated to be substituted at the N-l , or indole nitrogen, position. More recent investigation, however, based upon known condensation reactions of indole groups with an aldehyde, suggests that the 2-position was more probably the actual site of reaction. Several references describe the Mannich reaction with indole, and these references teach that no bond is formed at the N-l position when there is an opportunity for reaction at another position on the indole molecule. When the 3-position and 2- position are both available, the site of reaction is at the 3-position, with the indole nitrogen remaining unreactive. This is described in Orchin, The Vocabulary of Organic Chemistry. John Wiley & Sons, NY, p. 385; Furniss, Vogefs Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry. 4th Ed., Longman Scientific & Technical and John Wiley & Sons, NY, p. 813 (1978); and Mundy, Name Reactions and Reagents in Organic Synthesis. John Wiley & Sons, NY, p. 137, (1988). When the 3-position of the indole ring is blocked, however, as is the case in the LSD molecule, the reactive site involves the 2- position, with no bond being formed at the indole nitrogen, N-l . This is described in Orchin, The Vocabulary of Organic Chemistry. John Wiley & Sons, NY, p. 501 , Figure 13.790. Orchin describes the indole alkaloid tryptamine undergoing a Mannich

condensation reaction with an aldehyde (secologanin), with the resulting substitution occurring at the 2-position on the indole group.

The LSD derivatives of the present invention are carboxyalkyl derivatives and, in contrast to prior art derivatives, are defined compositions of matter. The derivatives ofthe prior art are postulated to be aminoalkyl derivatives, specifically aminomethyl, but are not defined by any analytical means as to the site of substitution or the linker composition. The present invention is believed by the inventors to be the first disclosure of discreet hapten carboxyl derivatives of LSD substituted at the N-l position. Haptens are partial or incomplete antigens. They are protein- free substances, mostly low molecular weight substances, which are not capable of stimulating antibody formation, but which do react with antibodies. The latter are formed by coupling the hapten to a high molecular weight carrier and injecting this coupled product into humans or animals. Examples of haptens include therapeutic drugs such as digoxin and theophylline, drugs of abuse such as morphine and LSD, antibiotics such as gentamycin and vancomycin, hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, vitamins such as vitamin B12 and folic acid, thyroxin, histamine, serotonin, adrenaline and others.

A carrier, as the term is used herein, is an immunogenic substance, commonly a protein, that can join with a hapten, thereby enabling the hapten to stimulate an immune response. Carrier substances include proteins, glycoproteins, complex polysaccharides and nucleic acids that are recognized as foreign and thereby elicit an immunologic response from the host.

An enzyme acceptor (EA) is an enzymatically inactive, polypeptide fragment of β-galactosidasc produced by a deletion mutant of the β-galactosidase gene which, when combined or associated with an enzyme donor, is capable of forming active β- galactosidase enzyme by the process of complementation.

An enzyme donor (ED) is an enzymatically inactive polypeptide fragment of β- galactosidasc comprising a peptide sequence capable of combining or associating with an enzyme acceptor to form active β-galactosidase enzyme. The term immunogenic as used herein refers to substances capable of producing or generating an immune response in an organism.

The term derivative refers to a chemical compound or molecule made from a parent compound or molecule by one or more chemical reactions.

As used herein, a label or tracer is an identifying tag which, when attached to a carrier substance or molecule, can be used to detect an analyte. A label may be attached to its carrier substance directly or indirectly by means of a linking or bridging moiety. Examples of labels include enzymes such as β-galactosidase and peroxidase, fluorescent compounds such as rhodamine and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), luminescent compounds such as dioxetanes and luciferin, and radioactive isotopes such as 125, I. A peptide is any compound formed by the linkage of two or more amino acids by amide (peptide) bonds, usually a polymer of -amino acids in which the α-amino group of each amino acid residue (except the NH ₂ -terminal) is linked to the α-carboxyl group ofthe next residue in a linear chain. The terms peptide, polypeptide and poly(amino acid) are used synonymously herein to refer to this class of compounds without restriction as to size. The largest members of this class are referred to as proteins.

A complex is a reversible association of chemical compounds or moieties held together by weak bonds or other forces, such as an enzyme-substrate complex (an association of an enzyme and one or more substrates that is the reacting moiety in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction), an antigen-antibody complex, a hapten-antibody complex, or an active enzyme complex of β-galactosidase formed by complementation of an enzyme donor and an enzyme acceptor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides novel hapten derivatives ofthe formula

wherein R ₁ is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl group having 1 carbon atom, and wherein

X is hydroxyl or -N wherein R ₃ is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl group having 2 or 5 carbon atoms. The present invention further provides novel hapten conjugates o the formula

wherein R _[ is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, wherein

O

R ₂ is a bond or -NH-R ₃ — N wherein R ₃ is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group

? ^S-

having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl group having 2 or 5 carbon atoms, Z is an immunogenic carrier substance, an enzyme donor polypeptide or a label selected from the group consisting of an enzyme, a substance having fluorescent properties and a radioactive substance, and n is from 1 to p where / is the molecular weight (MW) of Z/1000.

The present invention uniquely provides reagents for use in LSD immunoassays involving the coupling to or derivatization ofthe maleimide modified activated hapten precursor compound via sulfhydryl groups on an immunogenic carrier substance. The immunogens ofthe present invention, which include the haptenic drug covalently linked via its maleimide moiety and a sulfhydryl bridge to an immunogenic carrier material, are used to stimulate the production of antibodies to LSD.

The present invention further uniquely provides reagents for use in LSD immunoassays involving the coupling to or derivatization of the N-1-carboxyalkyl hapten precursor compound via amide linkages to an immunogenic carrier substance. These immunogens ofthe invention, which comprise the haptenic drug covalently linked via condensation directly with amine groups on an immunogenic carrier material, are used to stimulate the production of antibodies to LSD.

In another aspect, the present invention provides immunoassay methods and reagents for the determination of LSD using the novel antibodies. The present invention also provides novel hapten-enzyme donor conjugates for particularly preferred embodiments of the assay methods. The novel conjugates are prepared from either the activated N-1-carboxyalkyl LSD analog or from the maleimide adduct ofthe N- 1 -carboxyalkyl LSD analog.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description ofthe invention when considered in combination with the drawings that form part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a particular synthetic scheme for preparing N-l- carboxymethyl-LSD.

Fig. 2 illustrates a particular synthetic scheme for preparing the N- hydroxysuccinimide ester of N-1-carboxymethyl-LSD. Fig. 3 illustrates a particular synthetic scheme for preparing N-l -

(maleimidoethylamino-carbonylmethyl)-LSD.

Figs. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are graphs showing dose response curves at varying levels of LSD using enzyme donor conjugates and antibodies ofthe present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention, in all of its interrelated embodiments, is focused on the preparation of N-l -carboxy alkyl derivative analogs of LSD which can then be used to form immunogens by coupling the derivatives to conventional immunogenic poly(amino acids) or other antigenic carrier materials and subsequently used to obtain antibodies, or the derivatives can be used to form enzyme, enzyme donor or labeled conjugates which are useful as detection reagents in immunoassays for the drugs. The chemical structure of LSD is represented by the formula

In a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, N-l -carboxy alkyl derivatives of LSD are first prepared by a novel method in which N-l -alkylation is

favored over N-6 alkylation, i.e. quaternization. This method involves the treatment of LSD with a molar excess of a strong base, e.g. sodium hydride, followed by addition of alkyl-haloalkylcarboxylate. Hydrolysis of the ester yields N-l -carboxyalkyl LSD. The latter derivative may be conjugated to amino groups on immunogenic carrier proteins to yield immunogens directly or may be conjugated to amino groups on linkers, i.e., maleimidoalkylamines, to give adducts suitable for conjugation to thiol groups of enzyme donor polypeptides, immunogenic carrier proteins or labeling groups.

In yet another preferred embodiment ofthe invention, in preparing immunogen, enzyme, or enzyme donor conjugates ofthe analogs, a maleimide adduct is first formed with an aminoalkyl-maleimide derivative. These aminoalkyl-maleimide derivatives are synthesized by the methods of Hubcr as described in PCT publication WO 90/15798 (Dec. 27, 1990). The maleimide adducts are reacted with thiol groups on the immunogen, enzyme or enzyme donor to give thioether-linked conjugates.

According to a preferred embodiment, in preparing the immunogens ofthe invention, a thiol-containing carrier poly(amino acid) or other substance having immunogenic properties is coupled to the maleimide hapten. Although thiolated keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) is an especially preferred antigenic poly(amino acid), or carrier protein, it should be understood that various protein carriers may be employed, including albumins, serum proteins, e.g., globulins, ocular lens proteins, lipoproteins and the like. Illustrative protein carriers include bovine serum albumin, egg ovalbumin, bovine gammaglobulin, thyroxine binding globulin, etc. Alternatively, synthetic poly(amino acids) having a sufficient number of available sulfhydryl groups such as cysteine may be employed, as may other synthetic or natural polymeric materials bearing reactive functional groups. In particular, carbohydrates, yeasts, or polysaccharides may be conjugated to the hapten to produce an immunogen.

Conjugates of the activated hapten and a labelling group such as an enzyme, a substance having fluorescent properties, or a radioactive label may also be prepared and used as reagents in immunoassays. As with the immunogen and enzyme donor conjugates, the label employed must have available thiol-containing groups to be suitable for conjugation via the maleimide linker embodiment of the present invention. The thiol groups may be naturally occurring or they may be artificially introduced using

a thiolating agent such as N-succinimidyl-3-(acetylthio) propionate (SATP) or 2- iminothiolane.

In order to generate antibodies, the immunogen is conveniently prepared for injection into a host animal by rehydrating lyophilized immunogen to form a solution or suspension ofthe immunogen. The immunogen solution is then combined with an adjuvant such as Freund's. The immunogen may be administered in a variety of sites, at several doses, one or more times, over many weeks.

Preparation of polyclonal antibodies using the immunogen may follow any of the conventional techniques known to those skilled in the art. Commonly, a host animal such as a rabbit, goat, mouse, guinea pig, or horse is injected with the immunogen mixture. Further injections are made, with serum being assessed for antibody titer until it is determined that optimal titer has been reached. The host animal is then bled to yield a suitable volume of specific antiserum. Where desirable, purification steps may be taken to remove undesired material such as nonspecific antibodies before the antiserum is considered suitable for use in performing assays. Monoclonal antibodies may be obtained by hybridizing mouse lymphocytes, immunized as described above, and myeloma cells using a polyethylene glycol method such as the technique described in Methods in Enzymology 73 (Part B), pp. 3-46

(1981).

Example 1. Thiolation of KLH

A solution of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) (12.3 mg, 12.3 nmoles) was reconstituted in 50 mM phosphate buffer (2.5 ml), pH 7.6. To this was added 2- iminothiolane hydrochloride (2-IT) (3.4 mg, 24.6 mmole). The solution was vortexed and allowed to stand at ambient temperature for 60 minutes. The thiolated KLH (KLH- SH) was desalted with 50 mM phosphate buffer (3.5 ml), pH 7.0, over a PD- 10 pre¬ packed SEPHADEX G-25 ion exchange column (® Pharmacia, Inc.) pre-equilibrated with 50 mM phosphate buffer, pFI 7.6, to remove excess, unreacted 2-IT.

Example 2. Preparation of N-1-carboxymethyl-LSD

N-l -(ethyl-carboxymethyl)-LSD (formula II) was prepared as a starting material by treating LSD (formula I) with a molar excess of sodium hydride followed by the addition of ethylbromoacetate. The ester formed was hydrolyzed to yield N- 1 - carboxymethyl-LSD (N-l -CM-LSD, formula III). The synthetic scheme, described in detail below, is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Because LSD was found to be difficult and hazardous to weigh by transfer due to static charge effects, a method for reconstituting a total vial and weighing by subtraction was adopted. Working in a glove box which had been purged with nitrogen gas, 7.4 mg (308 μmol) sodium hydride was weighed directly into a tared 2.5 ml conical reaction vial. Dimethylformamide (DMF). 400 μl, was added to the reaction vial, along with a magnetic stir bar, open cap, and septum with TEFLON (synthetic resin polymer)-coated face. The vial was placed in a beaker containing crushed dry ice for approximately 10 min. DMF, 300 μl, was added to a tared, 50 mg vial of LSD, and the vial was capped and inverted several times until a complete solution was obtained. The LSD solution was transferred to a small culture tube (12 x 75 mm), capped and placed in the dry ice for approximately 10 min. The empty LSD vial was then rinsed with acetone, dried and weighed to obtain the net weight of LSD removed by subtraction, 50 mg (154 μmol). After removing the reaction vial from the dry ice and placing on a magnetic stir plate, the LSD solution was injected while vigorously stirring the sodium hydride suspension in the vial. Evolution of hydrogen gas and

bright yellow coloration was noted. The suspension was allowed to warm with stirring for about 5 min, at thich point the gas evolution had subsided. Ethylbromoacetate, 17 μl (164 μmol), was then injected and stirred for approximately 2 minutes. After removing the vial from the glove box, a 1 -2 μl aliquot was removed for HPLC analysis, and the vial was then placed in a -70° C freezer while the HPLC was being run. The HPLC aliquot was diluted in a 12 x 75 mm culture tube with 20 μl acetonitrile and 20 μl of 0.1 M triethylamine acetate (TEA-Ac). The sample was injected on a C4 analytical column (Vydac) and the following program was run: 0-5 min, 100% 0.1 M TEA-Ac (pH 7); 5-55 min, 0-50% acetonitrile/0.1 M TEA-Ac; 55-60 min, 100% acetonitrile; 60-70 min, 100% 0.1 M TEA-Ac. The flow rate was 1 ml/min, with UV detection at 320 and 280 nm. The HPLC showed nearly complete conversion of LSD eluting around 30-32% acetonitrile to a major product eluting around 40-42% acetonitrile which showed a slight back shoulder. The N-6 quaternized side-product elutes right after LSD, i.e., 32-33% acetonitrile. The product was isolated by preparative HPLC on a 2.2 x 25 cm C4 column using the following program: 0-10 min, 10% acetonitrile/0.1 M TEA-Ac; 10-60 min, 10-60% acetonitrile/0.1 M TEA-Ac; 60-65 min, 65% acetonitrile/0.1 M TEA-Ac; 65-75 min, 10% acetonitrile/0.1 M TEA-Ac. The flow rate was 8 ml/min. The load solution was prepared by diluting the cold reaction mixture with 1 ml 0.1 M TEA-Ac, filtering the resultant, slightly turbid solution through a 1 μm syringe filter, and injecting the clear filtrate, 1.8 ml, on a 2 ml loop. The desired product eluted toward the end of the gradient with a back shoulder. Fractions were collected manually over the major peak, taking care to change fractions at the back shoulder. This back shoulder corresponds to partially resolved N-l-(ethyl-carboxymethyl)-isoLSD, i.e. epimerized at the 8-position. Analytical HPLC was performed on the major fractions and those which were free of the isoLSD shoulder were pooled and lyophilized. The fraction was analyzed by 1H- NMR in acetonitrile- d ₃ and identity confirmed by mass spectrometry (MS). The NMR spectrum of N-l -(ethyl-carboxymethyl)-LSD showed an absence of the LSD 1 -position NH at 9.0 ppm. However, all other LSD resonances were seen at approximately the same position as in the parent drug. This strongly indicated that the 1 -position was substituted. In addition, new resonances were noted for the carboxymethyl CH ₂ (4.9 ppm, 2 proton singlet) and the ethyl ester (CH ₂ at 4.2 ppm, 2 proton quartet, and CH _? at

1.3 ppm, triplet overlapped with diethylamide resonances). The recovered yield was calculated by comparing UV/visible in acetonitrile/water (50:50) using MW = 409.5 and E _max = 5895 for the peak around 320 nm and found to be 30 mg.

N-l-(ethyl-carboxymethyI)-LSD starting material (28.5 mg, 70 μmol) was dissolved in 3.5 ml of ethanol and transferred to a small vial equipped with a septum/needle attached to an inert gas line and small stir bar. The reaction vial was purged with argon gas. Sodium hydroxide, 75 μl of a IN solution, was then injected with stirring. The reaction was monitored using the analytical system described above for preparing the starting material. The product eluted at about 24-25% acetonitrile as a sharp peak. A small amount of isoLSD derivative side product was noted which appeared as a back shoulder on the major peak. The reaction was complete in approximately 2 hr. The reaction mixture was then neutralized by adding one equivalent of acetic acid and 1 ml of water, and the resulting solution was clear. The product was isolated and desalted by HPLC on a preparative C4 column using 20 mM TEA-Ac, pH 7, and acetonitrile according to the following program: 0-5 min, 0% acetonitrile/20 mM TEA-Ac; 5-55 min, 0-50% acetonitrile/20 mM TEA-Ac; 55-60 min, 100% acetonitrile. The flow rate was 8 ml/min. The major peak, which eluted around 28-29% acetonitrile, was collected and fractions changed on the back side ofthe peak to eliminate any shoulder for isoLSD derivative. The pooled fractions were lyophilized and re-lyophilized 2 times from water/acetonitrile 4: 1 to get rid of the TEA- Ac and convert the product to a zwitterion. The product was analyzed by IH NMR in a mixture of acetonitrile-^ and deuterium oxide. The ethyl ester resonances noted above were confirmed to absent in the NMR whereas the other resonances as noted above were intact. The product was also analyzed by MS and confirmed to have a molecular ion peak corresponding to the theory molecular weight (MW) of 381. The recovered yield was calculated by UV in acetonitrile-H20 as described above for the starting material using MW = 381 and E _max - 5895. The yield of N-l -CM-LSD was found to be between 20 mg.

Example 3. Preparation of N-l-(carboxymethyl)-LSD N-hydroxysuccinimide ester 1

As illustrated in Fig. 2, N-l -(carboxymethyl) LSD N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (N-1-CM-LSD-NHS, formula V) was prepared by dissolving a sample of N-l - carboxymethyl-LSD (6.6 mg, 17.3 μmoles, formula IV) in 1.0 ml dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). To that solution N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) (14 mg. 121 μmoles) and 1- ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) (23.2 mg, 121 μmoles) was added. The solution was vortexed and incubated at ambient temperature overnight. The activated N-1-CM-LSD-NHS (Formula V) was used in Examples 4 and 5 without any purification.

Example 4. Conjugation of N-l-(carboxymethyl)-LSD N-hydroxysuccinimide ester to KLH

A solution of KLH (15.0 mg, 15 nmoles) in 4.0 ml phosphate buffer was added to a solution of N-1-CM-LSD-NHS (5.7 mg, 15.0 μmoles) in 1.0 ml DMSO, prepared as in Example 3. The resulting solution was vortexed gently for two minutes and allowed to stand at ambient temperature for 8.0 hours. The immunogen [N-l -CM- LSD] -KLH was dialyzed against water/MeOH (80:20 v/v) for three days. The immunogen was then freeze-dried to form a lyophilized powder material. Loading of the immunogen, calculated as described in Example 7 below, was determined to be

-1 -1 approximately 199, using an extinction coefficient of 17,060 M cm at 250 nm for N- 1-CM-LSD.

Example 5. Preparation of N-l -(maleimidoethylamino-carbonylmethyl)-LSD

As illustrated in Fig. 3, a 2-fold excess of maleimidoethylamine hydrochloride (MEA HCl, formula V, 6.1 mg, 34.6 μmoles) in 1.5 ml phosphate buffer was added to the activated N-1-CM-LSD-NHS from Example 3 (6.6 mg, 17.3 μmoles). MEAΗC1 was synthesized by the method of Huber as described in PCT publication WO 90/15798 (Dec. 27, 1990). The progress of the reaction was monitored by HPLC. The N-l-

(maleimidoethylamino-carbonylmethyl)-LSD (N-1-MEA-CM-LSD, formula VI) was then purified by HPLC.

Example 6. Conjugation of N-l -(maleimidoethylamino-carbonylmethyl)-LSD to KLH

KLH-SH solution (7.0 mg, 7.0 μmoles) in 2.1 ml of phosphate buffer from Example 1 was added to a solution of N-1-MEA-CM-LSD (3.5 mg, 7.0 mmoles) in DMSO (0.60 ml). The resulting solution was vortexed gently for two minutes and allowed to stand at ambient temperature for 5 hours. The protein conjugate [N-l-MEA- CM-LSD]„-KLH was dialyzed against H ₂ O:MeOH (80:20 v/v) for three days, then freeze-dried to form a lyophilized powdered material.

The number of N-1 -MEA-CM-LSD adducts incoφorated into the protein carrier KLH (loading of immunogen) was determined as follows: One milligram of [N-l - MEA-CM-LSD]„- KLH was dissolved in 1.0 ml of 1.0 N NaOH. The spectrum of the solution was recorded between 200 and 400 nm against the same solvent as reference.

-1 -1

Using the extinction coefficient of 5.899 M cm at 320 nm for N-l -MEA-CM-LSD in which there is no absoφtion for KLH, the molar ratio was calculated to be 226: 1.

Example 7. Preparation of N-l-(maleimidopentylamino-carbonylmethyl)-LSD:ED Conjugate

N-l -(maleimidopentylamino-carbonylmethyl)-LSD (N-l -MPA-CM-LSD) was first prepared. To a solution of N-1-CM-LSD-NHS (50.1 1 mg, 131.4 μmoles) prepared as described in Example 3, an approximately equivalent number of moles of maleimidopentylamine hydrochloride (MPA) (28.78 mg, 131.6 μmoles) in dimethylformamide (DMF) was added. To keep the reaction mixture at neutral pH, 300 μl of triethylamine (TEA) was added and the pH checked. The progress ofthe reaction was monitored by HPLC. The N-l -MPA-CM-LSD was then HPLC purified and used in the preparation of the ED conjugate. A solution of thiolated ED28 (5.0 mg, 0.5 μmoles) was prepared and desalted in

3.5 ml phosphate buffer. This solution was then added to the solution of N-l -MPA- CM-LSD (1.67 mg/1.5 ml DMF). The resulting mixture was vortexed gently for 2

minutes and allowed to stand at ambient temperature for 55 minutes. The protein conjugate N-1-MPA-CM-LSD:ED was HPLC purified using a Vydac semipreparative C4 column.

Example 8. Preparation of Monoclonal Antibodies

Preparation ofthe immunogen and immunization of the host animal were accomplished using techniques which will be well known to those skilled in the art. Each ofthe immunogens prepared in Examples 4 and 6 were administered to mice in a series of injections. Hybridoma cell lines were then developed from fusions using immunized spleens. Supernatant antibody was evaluated as described below, and ascites was produced from useful clones. Ascites was then purified, yielding monoclonal antibody. All ofthe biological and purification methods were performed in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. In this example, supernatant antibodies were selected from 96-well culture plates using a CEDIA homogeneous assay. As previously described, the CEDIA assay utilizes two genetically engineered, enzymatically inactive fragments of β- galactosidase. The smaller polypeptide, the enzyme donor, can recombine spontaneously with the larger fragment, the enzyme acceptor, to form active β- galactosidase, in a process called complementation. When a specific antibody to the ligand or analyte attaches to the enzyme donor conjugate, complementation is inhibited. The addition of free ligand to this system will modulate the inhibition of complementation. This assay principle was used to screen fusion products in a 96-well format. A primary screening of the fusion products was first performed to evaluate the ability of the antibodies to bind to the enzyme donor conjugate prepared in Example 8 and to inhibit complementation. The number of inhibition-positive clones were then narrowed further by performing a secondary screening assay to determine whether the free drug would modulate or compete with the enzyme donor conjugate for the antibody. The modulation assay also identified specific clones when screened against cross-reacting analytes. The clones which modulated with the specific analytes of choice were then grown for further stud} . The culture supematants containing the

monoclonal antibodies were collected and evaluated on the HITACHI 717 analyzer (® Boehringer Mannheim Coφ., Indianapolis, IN) as described in Example 9 below.

Example 9. Assay for LSD

A CEDIA assay for LSD was performed using the enzyme donor conjugate prepared in Example 7 and the antibody produced according to Example 4. The following reagents were prepared:

Antibodv reagent:

Antibody 57 ng/ml

PIPES (piperazine-N,N-bis- [2-ethanesulfonic 100 mM acid])

NaCl 500 mM

Fetal bovine serum 0.5 %

EGTA 10 mM

Magnesium acetate 10 mM

Sodium azide 20 M pH 6.90

Donor reagent:

Enzyme donor conjugate 0.487 nM

CPRG (chloφhenylred-β-D-galactopyranoside) 3 mg/ml

PIPES 100 mM

NaCl 400 mM

EGTA 10 mM

Fragmented BSA 2 mg/ml

Sodium azide 20 mM

PH 6.90

Acceptor reagent:

Enzyme acceptor 880 U/ml

Magnesium acetate 10 mM

NaCl 400 mM

PIPES 100 mM

EGTA 10 mM

Sodium azide 20 mM pH 6.90

Assays were performed using an HITACFII 91 1 analyzer. The instrument dispensed 12 μl of sample containing LSD, and 100 μl of antibody reagent was added. The mixture was allowed to incubate at 37°C for 60 seconds, after which 100 μl of donor reagent was added and allowed to incubate for 530 seconds. Finally 140 μl of the acceptor reagent was added. The absorbance rate was measured over the time period of 295 sec to 375 sec following the addition ofthe acceptor reagent. The primary wavelength used was 570 nm, with 660 nm used as the secondary wavelength. The absorbance rate at 570 nm was plotted against LSD concentration to construct the dose response curve shown in Fig. 4 (a). The results obtained with an LSD specific monoclonal antibody raised against the immunogen of Example 4 are as follows:

Dose, ng/ml Rate. mAU/min

0.0 1 12.4

0.3 132.2

0.5 145.0

0.7 155.3

2.0 207.0

4.0 224.8

100 228.7

Example 10. Assay for LSD

In a similar manner to that described in Example 9, a CEDIA assay for LSD was performed using the enzyme donor conjugate prepared in Example 7 and an LSD specific monoclonal antibody raised against the immunogen of Example 6. The results obtained are as follows:

Dose, ng/ml Rate. mAU/min

0.0 63.6

0.3 67.6

0.5 69.9

0.8 72.6

1.6 80.8

4.0 107.4

The response curve obtained by plotting the LSD dose against the rate is shown in Fig. 4 (b).

All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incoφorated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incoφorated by reference. The invention now being fully described, it will be understood that the specification and examples are illustrative but not limitative ofthe present invention,

and that modifications and changes will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art but will not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.