Targeted radiolabeled compounds and their use for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer

A method of targeted delivery of cytotoxic and/or imaging compounds to cancer cells characterized by at least butyrylcholinesterase expression, and optionally androgen binding affinity, said method comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of at least one compound of the formula:

• wherein Ra is OH or:
• X is H, F, Cl, or a C1-C8 alkyl, or C1-C8 alkoxy group;
• Y is H, C1-C8 alkyl, C5-C14 aryl, or a C5-C14 aryloxy group;
• Z is H, C1-C8 alkyl, C5-C14 aryl, or a C5-C14 aryloxy group;
• R is halogen, radiohalogen, or a C1-C8 alkyl, C5-C14 aryl, C1-C8 alkylthio, C1-C8 alkoxy, C2-C6 alkenyl, C2-C6 alkynyl, C3-C12 cycloalkyl, or Sn(C1-C4 alkyl)3 group;
• Rb is halogen, radiohalogen, OH, or a C1-C6 alkoxy or C1-C8 alkanoate group, an androgen receptor binding ligand linked to the said compound via a cleavable linking moiety, or:
• any of said alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkylthio, alkoxy and cycloalkyl group being optionally substituted by at least one halogen, OH, SH, NH2, C1-C4 monoalkylamino, C1-C4 dialkylamino, COOH, CN, NO2, C1-C4 alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy or phenyl group, any of said aryl, aryloxy, and phenyl group being optionally substituted by at least one halogen, OH, SH, NH2, C1-C4 monoalkylamino, C1-C4 dialkylamino, COOH, CN, NO2, C1-C4 alkyl or C1-C4 alkoxy group;
• said radiohalogen is 123I, 124I, 125I, 131I, 211At, 18F, 76Br, 77Br, or 80mBr;
• stereoisomeric forms and pharmaceutically acceptable salts of said at least one compound;
• with the proviso that at least one of the Ra and Rb substituents is:
• and
• the wavy line indicating the point of attachment to the ribose moiety,
• wherein said compound binds to said butyrylcholinesterase and is selectively taken up by said cancer cells, said compound being incorporated into the cancer cell nucleus, thereby producing a cytotoxic effect in said cancer cells and/or rendering said cancer cells detectable by nuclear medicine imaging.