Targeting lipid biosynthesis pathways for hepatitis B virus cure.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by the presence of high circulating levels of non-infectious lipoprotein-like HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) particles thought to contribute to chronic immune dysfunction in patients. Lipid and metabolomic analysis of humanized livers from immunodeficient chimeric mice (uPA/SCID) revealed that HBV infection dysregulates several lipid metabolic pathways. Small molecule inhibitors of lipid biosynthetic pathway enzymes acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase, and subtilisin kexin isozyme-1/site-1 protease in HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells demonstrated potent and selective reduction of extracellular HBsAg. However, a liver-targeted ACC inhibitor did not show antiviral activity in HBV-infected liver chimeric mice, despite evidence of on-target engagement. Our study suggests that while HBsAg production may be dependent on hepatic de novo lipogenesis in vitro, this may be overcome by extrahepatic sources (such as lipolysis or diet) in vivo. Thus, a combination of agents targeting more than one lipid metabolic pathway may be necessary to reduce HBsAg levels in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate.

Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate is a lipophilic prodrug of tenofovir which is preferentially metabolized in lymphatic tissue resulting in high concentrations of tenofovir (TFV) and its active diphosphate metabolite inside the cells that replicate HIV. Due to its selectivity for these tissues, lower total doses of TAF can be administered relative to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) which results in improved bone and renal biomarkers. Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate has become the "backbone" of multiple combination products for the treatment of HIV, combined with emtricitabine for PreP and as a monotherapy for the treatment or HBV.

Inhaled remdesivir reduces viral burden in a nonhuman primate model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Remdesivir (RDV) is a nucleotide analog prodrug with demonstrated clinical benefit in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In October 2020, the US FDA approved intravenous (IV) RDV as the first treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, RDV has been approved or authorized for emergency use in more than 50 countries. To make RDV more convenient for non-hospitalized patients earlier in disease, alternative routes of administration are being evaluated. Here, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of RDV administered by head dome inhalation in African green monkeys (AGM). Relative to an IV administration of RDV at 10 mg/kg, an approximately 20-fold lower dose administered by inhalation produced comparable concentrations of the pharmacologically active triphosphate in lower respiratory tract tissues. Distribution of the active triphosphate into the upper respiratory tract was also observed following inhaled RDV exposure. Inhalation RDV dosing resulted in lower systemic exposures to RDV and its metabolites as compared with IV RDV dosing. An efficacy study with repeated dosing of inhaled RDV in an AGM model of SARS-CoV-2 infection demonstrated reductions in viral replication in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and respiratory tract tissues compared with placebo. Efficacy was observed with inhaled RDV administered once daily at a pulmonary deposited dose of 0.35 mg/kg beginning approximately 8 hours post-infection. Moreover, the efficacy of inhaled RDV was similar to that of IV RDV administered once at 10 mg/kg followed by 5 mg/kg daily in the same study. Together, these findings support further clinical development of inhalation RDV.

TLR7 agonists induce transient viremia and reduce the viral reservoir in SIV-infected rhesus macaques on antiretroviral therapy.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can halt HIV-1 replication but fails to target the long-lived latent viral reservoir. Several pharmacological compounds have been evaluated for their ability to reverse HIV-1 latency, but none has demonstrably reduced the latent HIV-1 reservoir or affected viral rebound after the interruption of ART. We evaluated orally administered selective Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists GS-986 and GS-9620 for their ability to induce transient viremia in rhesus macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and treated with suppressive ART. In an initial dose-escalation study, and a subsequent dose-optimization study, we found that TLR7 agonists activated multiple innate and adaptive immune cell populations in addition to inducing expression of SIV RNA. We also observed TLR7 agonist-induced reductions in SIV DNA and measured inducible virus from treated animals in ex vivo cell cultures. In a second study, after stopping ART, two of nine treated animals remained aviremic for more than 2 years, even after in vivo CD8+ T cell depletion. Moreover, adoptive transfer of cells from aviremic animals could not induce de novo infection in naïve recipient macaques. These findings suggest that TLR7 agonists may facilitate reduction of the viral reservoir in a subset of SIV-infected rhesus macaques.

Discovery and Synthesis of a Phosphoramidate Prodrug of a Pyrrolo[2,1-f][triazin-4-amino] Adenine C-Nucleoside (GS-5734) for the Treatment of Ebola and Emerging Viruses.

The recent Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in West Africa was the largest recorded in history with over 28,000 cases, resulting in >11,000 deaths including >500 healthcare workers. A focused screening and lead optimization effort identified 4b (GS-5734) with anti-EBOV EC50 = 86 nM in macrophages as the clinical candidate. Structure activity relationships established that the 1'-CN group and C-linked nucleobase were critical for optimal anti-EBOV potency and selectivity against host polymerases. A robust diastereoselective synthesis provided sufficient quantities of 4b to enable preclinical efficacy in a non-human-primate EBOV challenge model. Once-daily 10 mg/kg iv treatment on days 3-14 postinfection had a significant effect on viremia and mortality, resulting in 100% survival of infected treated animals [ Nature 2016 , 531 , 381 - 385 ]. A phase 2 study (PREVAIL IV) is currently enrolling and will evaluate the effect of 4b on viral shedding from sanctuary sites in EBOV survivors.

Phase I/II study of the pharmacokinetics, safety and antiretroviral activity of tenofovir alafenamide, a new prodrug of the HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitor tenofovir, in HIV-infected adults.

BACKGROUND: Tenofovir alafenamide (formerly GS-7340) is a new oral prodrug of tenofovir, a nucleotide analogue that inhibits HIV-1 reverse transcription. Unlike the currently marketed tenofovir prodrug, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, tenofovir alafenamide is stable in plasma and then rapidly converted into tenofovir once inside cells. METHODS: The pharmacokinetics, safety and antiviral activity of 40 or 120 mg of tenofovir alafenamide compared with 300 mg of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate when administered as monotherapy once daily for 14 days in HIV-1-infected, treatment-naive subjects was studied. RESULTS: Administration of 40 mg of tenofovir alafenamide for 14 days resulted in lower tenofovir Cmax (13 versus 207 ng/mL) and lower systemic exposures (AUC0-t, 383 versus 1810 ng ·â€Šh/mL) compared with subjects who received tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. There were higher intracellular tenofovir concentrations within peripheral blood mononuclear cells with both 40 mg of tenofovir alafenamide (8.2 µM) and 120 mg of tenofovir alafenamide (16.9 µM) compared with 300 mg of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (0.9 µM). The most commonly observed adverse events were headache, nausea and flatulence, which occurred similarly across the three groups. After 14 days, the mean changes in HIV-1 RNA were -0.94 log10copies/mL for the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate group, -1.57 log10 copies/mL for the 40 mg of tenofovir alafenamide group and -1.71 log10 copies/mL for the 120 mg of tenofovir alafenamide group. The mean first-phase HIV-1 RNA decay slopes were -0.36, -0.63 and -0.64 for the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate group, the 40 mg of tenofovir alafenamide group and the 120 mg of tenofovir alafenamide group, respectively. No resistance mutations to either tenofovir alafenamide or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Tenofovir alafenamide, a new once-daily oral prodrug of tenofovir, showed more potent anti-HIV-1 activity and higher intracellular tenofovir levels compared with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, while maintaining lower plasma tenofovir exposure at 40 mg with good tolerability over 14 days of monotherapy.

Mechanism for effective lymphoid cell and tissue loading following oral administration of nucleotide prodrug GS-7340.

GS-7340 is a prodrug of tenofovir (TFV) that more efficiently delivers TFV into lymphoid cells and tissues than the clinically used prodrug TFV disoproxil fumarate, resulting in higher antiviral potency at greatly reduced doses and lower systemic TFV exposure. First-pass extraction by the intestine and liver represents substantial barriers to the oral delivery of prodrugs designed for rapid intracellular hydrolysis. In order to understand how GS-7340 reduces first-pass clearance to be an effective oral prodrug, its permeability and stability were characterized in vitro and detailed pharmacokinetic studies were completed in dogs. GS-7340 showed concentration-dependent permeability through monolayers of caco-2 cells and dose-dependent oral bioavailability in dogs, increasing from 1.7% at 2 mg/kg to 24.7% at 20 mg/kg, suggesting saturable intestinal efflux transport. Taking into account a 65% hepatic extraction measured in portal vein cannulated dogs, high dose GS-7340 is nearly completely absorbed. Consistent with the proposed role of intestinal efflux transport, coadministration of low dose GS-7340 with a transport inhibitor substantially increased GS-7340 exposure. The result of effective oral absorption and efficient lymphoid cell loading was reflected in the high and persistent levels of the pharmacologically active metabolite, TFV diphosphate, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following oral administration to dogs. In conclusion, GS-7340 reaches the systemic circulation to effectively load target cells by saturating intestinal efflux transporters, facilitated by its high solubility, and by maintaining sufficient stability in intestinal and hepatic tissue.

Mechanistic characterization of GS-9190 (Tegobuvir), a novel nonnucleoside inhibitor of hepatitis C virus NS5B polymerase.

GS-9190 (Tegobuvir) is a novel imidazopyridine inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication in vitro and has demonstrated potent antiviral activity in patients chronically infected with genotype 1 (GT1) HCV. GS-9190 exhibits reduced activity against GT2a (JFH1) subgenomic replicons and GT2a (J6/JFH1) infectious virus, suggesting that the compound's mechanism of action involves a genotype-specific viral component. To further investigate the GS-9190 mechanism of action, we utilized the susceptibility differences between GT1b and GT2a by constructing a series of replicon chimeras where combinations of 1b and 2a nonstructural proteins were encoded within the same replicon. The antiviral activities of GS-9190 against the chimeric replicons were reduced to levels comparable to that of the wild-type GT2a replicon in chimeras expressing GT2a NS5B. GT1b replicons in which the ß-hairpin region (amino acids 435 to 455) was replaced by the corresponding sequence of GT2a were markedly less susceptible to GS-9190, indicating the importance of the thumb subdomain of the polymerase in this effect. Resistance selection in GT1b replicon cells identified several mutations in NS5B (C316Y, Y448H, Y452H, and C445F) that contributed to the drug resistance phenotype. Reintroduction of these mutations into wild-type replicons conferred resistance to GS-9190, with the number of NS5B mutations correlating with the degree of resistance. Analysis of GS-9190 cross-resistance against previously reported NS5B drug-selected mutations showed that the resistance pattern of GS-9190 is different from other nonnucleoside inhibitors. Collectively, these data demonstrate that GS-9190 represents a novel class of nonnucleoside polymerase inhibitors that interact with NS5B likely through involvement of the ß-hairpin in the thumb subdomain.

Natural substrate concentrations can modulate the prophylactic efficacy of nucleotide HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with antiretroviral drugs is a novel human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention strategy. It is generally thought that high systemic and mucosal drug levels are sufficient for protection. We investigated whether GS7340, a next-generation tenofovir (TFV) prodrug that effectively delivers tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) to lymphoid cells and tissues, could protect macaques against repeated weekly rectal simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) exposures. Macaques received prophylactic GS7340 treatment 3 days prior to each virus exposure. At 3 days postdosing, TFV-DP concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were about 50-fold higher than those seen with TFV disoproxil fumarate (TDF), and they remained above 1,000 fmol/10(6) cells for as long as 7 days. TFV-DP accumulated in lymphoid and rectal tissues, with concentrations at 3 days exceeding 500 fmol/10(6) mononuclear cells. Despite high mucosal and systemic TFV levels, GS7340 was not protective. Since TFV-DP blocks reverse transcription by competing with the natural dATP substrate, we measured dATP contents in peripheral lymphocytes, lymphoid tissue, and rectal mononuclear cells. Compared to those in circulating lymphocytes and lymphoid tissue, rectal lymphocytes had 100-fold higher dATP concentrations and dATP/TFV-DP ratios, likely reflecting the activated status of the cells and suggesting that TFV-DP may be less active at the rectal mucosa. Our results identify dATP/TFV-DP ratios as a possible correlate of protection by TFV and suggest that natural substrate concentrations at the mucosa will likely modulate the prophylactic efficacy of nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Nucleotide analogue prodrug tenofovir disoproxil enhances lymphoid cell loading following oral administration in monkeys.

The antiviral drug tenofovir (TFV) is orally administered as the fumarate salt of its disoproxil prodrug (TFV disoproxil fumarate (TDF)). TFV is a dianion at physiological pH and, as a result, has poor lipid membrane permeability. Administration of the lipophilic and cell-permeable prodrug, TFV disoproxil, enhances the oral absorption of TFV. In order to determine whether oral administration of TDF also increases distribution to sites of viral infection, the plasma and circulating lymphoid cell pharmacokinetics of TFV and its phosphorylated metabolites were assessed following a single oral TDF or subcutaneous TFV administration at doses yielding equivalent plasma exposures to TFV in macaques. Despite TFV disoproxil's lack of plasma stability and undetectable levels in the first plasma samples taken, oral administration of TDF resulted in 7.9-fold higher peripheral blood mononuclear cell exposures to the active metabolite, TFV-diphosphate. The apparent plasma terminal half-life (t(1/2)) of TFV was also longer following oral TDF relative to subcutaneous TFV administration (median t(1/2) of 15.3 and 3.9 h, respectively), suggesting broader distribution to cells and tissues outside of the central plasma compartment. In conclusion, the disoproxil pro-moiety enhances not only the oral absorption of TFV but also tissue and lymphoid cell loading. These results illustrate that administration of even a fleeting prodrug can increase target tissue loading and give valuable insight for future prodrug development.

GS-9191 is a novel topical prodrug of the nucleotide analog 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)guanine with antiproliferative activity and possible utility in the treatment of human papillomavirus lesions.

GS-9191 is a novel double prodrug of the nucleotide analog 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)guanine (PMEG) designed as a topical agent to permeate skin and be metabolized to the active nucleoside triphosphate analog in the epithelial layer. The prodrug was shown to be metabolized intracellularly to 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-N(6)-cyclopropyl-2,6,diaminopurine (cPrPMEDAP) and subsequently deaminated to PMEG. The active form, PMEG diphosphate, was shown to be a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerase alpha and beta while showing weaker activity against mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma (50% enzyme inhibition observed at 2.5, 1.6, and 59.4 microM, respectively). GS-9191 was markedly more potent than PMEG or cPrPMEDAP in a series of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cell lines, with effective concentrations to inhibit 50% cell growth (EC(50)) as low as 0.03, 207, and 284 nM, respectively. In contrast, GS-9191 was generally less potent in non-HPV-infected cells and primary cells (EC(50)s between 1 and 15 nM). DNA synthesis was inhibited by GS-9191 within 24 h of treatment; cells were observed to be arrested in S phase by 48 h and to subsequently undergo apoptosis (between 3 and 7 days). In an animal model (cottontail rabbit papillomavirus), topical GS-9191 was shown to decrease the size of papillomas in a dose-related manner. At the highest dose (0.1%), cures were evident at the end of 5 weeks, and lesions did not recur in a 30-day follow-up period. These data suggest that GS-9191 may have utility in the treatment of HPV-induced lesions.

Substituted imidazopyridines as potent inhibitors of HCV replication.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Following lead optimization, a set of substituted imidazopyridines was identified as potent and selective inhibitors of in vitro HCV replication. The particular characteristics of one of the most potent compounds in this series (5-[[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-isoxazolyl]methyl]-2-(2,3-difluorophenyl)-5H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine or GS-327073), were studied. METHODS: Antiviral activity of GS-327073 was evaluated in HCV subgenomic replicons (genotypes 1b, 1a and 2a), in the JFH1 (genotype 2a) infectious system and against replicons resistant to various selective HCV inhibitors. Combination studies of GS-327073 with other selective HCV inhibitors were performed. RESULTS: Fifty percent effective concentrations for inhibition of HCV subgenomic 1b replicon replication ranged between 2 and 50 nM and were 100-fold higher for HCV genotype 2a virus. The 50% cytostatic concentrations were > or = 17 microM, thus resulting in selectivity indices of > or = 340. GS-327073 retained wild-type activity against HCV replicons that were resistant to either HCV protease inhibitors or several polymerase inhibitors. GS-327073, when combined with either interferon alpha, ribavirin, a nucleoside polymerase or a protease inhibitor resulted in overall additive antiviral activity. Combinations containing GS-327073 proved highly effective in clearing hepatoma cells from HCV. CONCLUSIONS: GS-327073 is a potent in vitro inhibitor of HCV replication either alone or in combination with other selective HCV inhibitors.

GS-9219--a novel acyclic nucleotide analogue with potent antineoplastic activity in dogs with spontaneous non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSE: GS-9219, a novel prodrug of the nucleotide analogue 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)guanine (PMEG), was designed as a cytotoxic agent that preferentially targets lymphoid cells. Our objective was to characterize the antiproliferative activity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of GS-9219. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: GS-9219 was selected through screening in proliferation assays and through pharmacokinetic screening. The activation pathway of GS-9219 was characterized in lymphocytes, and its cytotoxic activity was evaluated against a panel of hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cell types. To test whether the prodrug moieties present in GS-9219 confer an advantage over PMEG in vivo, the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics (lymph node germinal center depletion), and toxicity of equimolar doses of GS-9219 and PMEG were evaluated after i.v. administration to normal beagle dogs. Finally, proof of concept of the antitumor efficacy of GS-9219 was evaluated in five pet dogs with spontaneous, advanced-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) following a single i.v. administration of GS-9219 as monotherapy. RESULTS: In lymphocytes, GS-9219 is converted to its active metabolite, PMEG diphosphate, via enzymatic hydrolysis, deamination, and phosphorylation. GS-9219 has substantial antiproliferative activity against activated lymphocytes and hematopoietic tumor cell lines. In contrast, resting lymphocytes and solid tumor lines were less sensitive to GS-9219. GS-9219, but not PMEG, depleted the germinal centers in lymphoid tissues of normal beagle dogs at doses that were tolerated. In addition, GS-9219 displayed significant in vivo efficacy in five dogs with spontaneous NHL after a single administration, with either no or low-grade adverse events. CONCLUSION: GS-9219 may have utility for the treatment of NHL.

Suppression of HIV-1 protease inhibitor resistance by phosphonate-mediated solvent anchoring.

The introduction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitors (PIs) markedly improved the clinical outcome and control of HIV-1 infection. However, cross-resistance among PIs due to a wide spectrum of mutations in viral protease is a major factor limiting their broader clinical use. Here we report on the suppression of PI resistance using a covalent attachment of a phosphonic acid motif to a peptidomimetic inhibitor scaffold. The resulting phosphonate analogs maintain high binding affinity to HIV-1 protease, potent antiretroviral activity, and unlike the parent molecules, display no loss of potency against a panel of clinically important PI-resistant HIV-1 strains. As shown by crystallographic analysis, the phosphonate moiety is highly exposed to solvent with no discernable interactions with any of the enzyme active site or surface residues. We term this effect "solvent anchoring" and demonstrate that it is driven by a favorable change in the inhibitor binding entropy upon the interaction with mutant enzymes. This type of thermodynamic behavior, which was not found with the parent scaffold fully buried in the enzyme active site, is a result of the increased degeneracy of inhibitor binding states, allowing effective molecular adaptation to the expanded cavity volume of mutant proteases. This strategy, which is applicable to various PI scaffolds, should facilitate the design of novel PIs and potentially other antiviral therapeutics.

Perspectives on the development of acyclic nucleotide analogs as antiviral drugs.

The development of Viread (tenofovir disoproxil) for HIV and Hepsera (adefovir dipivoxil) for HBV presented many unique challenges. Unlike nucleosides and most conventional drugs, the parent acyclic nucleotide analogs are charged at physiologic pH and not suitable for oral administration which is highly desired in chronic therapies. Physicochemical properties, cellular permeation, renal toxicity, and bioavailability all had to be addressed during the development of these compounds. As a class, the acyclic nucleotides have long intracellular half-lives, allowing once-daily dosing, which provided the initial rationale for treatment of chronic viral diseases such as HIV and HBV. Prodrugs originally designed to deliver the parent acyclic nucleotide analog to the systemic circulation, also function to increase the tissue distribution and intracellular concentrations of the acyclic nucleotide diphosphate inside cells.

Evaluation of oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and topical tenofovir GS-7340 to protect infant macaques against repeated oral challenges with virulent simian immunodeficiency virus.

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of infant macaques is a useful animal model of pediatric HIV infection to evaluate the potential of chemoprophylactic regimens to reduce mother-to-infant transmission of HIV. Previous studies have demonstrated that short-term subcutaneous administration of the reverse transcriptase inhibitor tenofovir was highly effective in protecting newborn macaques against infection after a single high-dose oral inoculation with virulent SIVmac251. In the current study, we mimicked HIV transmission through breast-feeding by repeatedly feeding infant macaques low doses of SIVmac251. Topical administration of a low dose of the second-generation tenofovir prodrug GS-7340 did not have detectable prophylactic efficacy. Oral administration of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF; 10 mg/kg SID) lowered the infection rate at birth, but had lower efficacy against virus infection at 4 weeks of age, most likely because drug levels became suboptimal relative to those obtained with the current tenofovir DF regimen in humans. These prophylactic results further underscore the relevance of the current tenofovir DF prevention trials in pediatric and adult populations.

Phosphonic acid-containing analogues of mycophenolic acid as inhibitors of IMPDH.

The design, synthesis, and IMPDH inhibitory activity of a series of phosphonic acid-containing analogues of mycophenolic acid are described.

Selective intracellular activation of a novel prodrug of the human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase inhibitor tenofovir leads to preferential distribution and accumulation in lymphatic tissue.

An isopropylalaninyl monoamidate phenyl monoester prodrug of tenofovir (GS 7340) was prepared, and its in vitro antiviral activity, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics in dogs were determined. The 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) of GS 7340 against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in MT-2 cells was 0.005 microM compared to an EC(50) of 5 microM for the parent drug, tenofovir. The (L)-alaninyl analog (GS 7340) was >1,000-fold more active than the (D)-alaninyl analog. GS 7340 has a half-life of 90 min in human plasma at 37 degrees C and a half-life of 28.3 min in an MT-2 cell extract at 37 degrees C. The antiviral activity (>10 x the EC(50)) and the metabolic stability in MT-2 cell extracts (>35 x) and plasma (>2.5 x) were also sensitive to the stereochemistry at the phosphorus. After a single oral dose of GS 7340 (10 mg-eq/kg tenofovir) to male beagle dogs, the plasma bioavailability of tenofovir compared to an intravenous dose of tenofovir was 17%. The total intracellular concentration of all tenofovir species in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells at 24 h was 63 microg-eq/ml compared to 0.2 microg-eq/ml in plasma. A radiolabeled distribution study with dogs resulted in an increased distribution of tenofovir to tissues of lymphatic origin compared to the commercially available prodrug tenofovir DF (Viread).

Evaluation of nucleoside phosphonates and their analogs and prodrugs for inhibition of orthopoxvirus replication.

In the event of a bioterrorism attack using smallpox virus, there currently is no approved drug for the treatment of infections with this virus. We have reported previously that (S)-1-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]cytosine (HPMPC) (also known as cidofovir [CDV]) has good activity against poxvirus infections; however, a major limitation is the requirement for intravenous administration. Two related acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs), adefovir (PMEA) and tenofovir (PMPA), are active against human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B virus but do not have activity against the orthopoxviruses. Therefore, we have evaluated a number of analogs and potential oral prodrugs of these three compounds for their ability to inhibit the replication of vaccinia virus or cowpox virus in tissue culture cells. The most-active compounds within the CDV series were (S)-HPMPA and (butyl L-alaninyl) cyclic HPMPC, with 50% effective concentrations (EC(50)s) from 4 to 8 microM, compared with 33 to 43 microM for CDV. Although PMEA itself was not active, adefovir dipivoxil [bis[(pivaloyl)oxymethyl] PMEA] and bis(butyl L-alaninyl) PMEA were active against both viruses, and bis(butyl L-alaninyl) PME-N6-(cyclopropyl)DAP and (isopropyl L-alaninyl)phenyl PME-N6-(cyclopropyl)DAP were the most active compounds tested, with EC(50)s of 0.1 to 2.6 microM. In the PMPA series, none of the analogs tested had significantly better activity than PMPA itself. These data indicate that a number of these ANP derivatives have activity against vaccinia virus and cowpox virus in vitro and should be evaluated for their efficacies in animal models.