| abstract |
The present invention provides compounds useful for directing therapeutic and imaging reagents to sites of infection and tumors in vivo. A biotin compound that has high specificity for a target site when administered to a patient in vivo. Preferred biotin compounds are biotinamide analogs, and preferred target sites include tumors and bacterial, viral or fungal infection sites. Particularly preferred biotin compounds are those that exhibit a target to non-target site ratio of at least 5: 1, are stable in vivo, and are substantially localized to the target within 1 hour after administration. A particularly preferred biotinamide analog is [3aS- (3aα, 4β, 6aα)]-hexahydro-2-oxo-1H-thieno [3,4d] imidazol-4- (N-3- (1-fluoropropyl)) pentanamide It is. [Selection figure] None |