Dipeptidyl-quinolone derivatives inhibit hypoxia inducible factor-1α prolyl hydroxylases-1, -2, and -3 with altered selectivity.

Intracellular levels of the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF) are regulated under normoxic conditions by prolyl hydroxylases (PHD1, 2, and 3). Treatment of cells with PHD inhibitors stabilizes HIF-1α, eliciting an artificial hypoxic response that includes the transcription of genes involved in erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, and glycolysis. The different in vivo roles of the three PHD isoforms are not yet known, making a PHD-selective inhibitor useful as a biological tool. Although several chemical series of PHD inhibitors have been described, significant isoform selectivity has not been reported. Here we report the synthesis and activity of dipeptidyl analogues derived from a potent but non-selective quinolone scaffold. The compounds were prepared by Pd-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of the 6-iodoquinolone derivative to form the aldehyde directly, which was then attached to a solid support via reductive amination. Amino acids were coupled, and the resulting dipeptidyl-quinolone derivatives were screened, revealing retention of PHD inhibitory activity but an altered PHD1, 2, and 3 selectivity profile. The compounds were found to be ∼10-fold more potent against PHD1 and PHD3 than against PHD2, whereas the specific parent compound had shown no appreciable selectivity among the different PHD isoforms.

Novel vanilloid receptor-1 antagonists: 3. The identification of a second-generation clinical candidate with improved physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties.

Based on the previously reported clinical candidate, AMG 517 (compound 1), a series of related piperazinylpyrimidine analogues were synthesized and evaluated as antagonists of the vanilloid 1 receptor (VR1 or TRPV1). Optimization of in vitro potency and physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties led to the discovery of (R)-N-(4-(6-(4-(1-(4-fluorophenyl)ethyl)piperazin-1-yl)pyrimidin-4-yloxy)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)acetamide (16p), a potent TRPV1 antagonist [rTRPV1(CAP) IC50 = 3.7 nM] with excellent aqueous solubility (>or=200 microg/mL in 0.01 N HCl) and a reduced half-life (rat t1/2 = 3.8 h, dog t1/2 = 2.7 h, monkey t1/2 = 3.2 h) as compared to AMG 517. In addition, compound 16p was shown to be efficacious at blocking a TRPV1-mediated physiological response in vivo (ED50 = 1.9 mg/kg, p.o. in the capsaicin-induced flinch model in rats) and was also effective at reducing thermal hyperalgesia induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats (MED = 1 mg/kg, p.o). Based on its improved overall profile, compound 16p (AMG 628) was selected as a second-generation candidate for further evaluation in human clinical trials as a potential new treatment for chronic pain.

Design of potent, orally available antagonists of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1. Structure-activity relationships of 2-piperazin-1-yl-1H-benzimidazoles.

The vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1 or TRPV1) is a membrane-bound, nonselective cation channel that is predominantly expressed by peripheral neurons sensing painful stimuli. TRPV1 antagonists produce antihyperalgesic effects in animal models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Herein, we describe the synthesis and the structure-activity relationships of a series of 2-(4-pyridin-2-ylpiperazin-1-yl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazoles as novel TRPV1 antagonists. Compound 46ad was among the most potent analogues in this series. This compound was orally bioavailable in rats and was efficacious in blocking capsaicin-induced flinch in rats in a dose-dependent manner. Compound 46ad also reversed thermal hyperalgesia in a model of inflammatory pain, which was induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA).

Knowledge-based approaches in the design and selection of compound libraries for drug discovery.

In the past decade, the pharmaceutical industry has realized the increasing significance of impacting the early phase hit-to-lead development in the drug discovery process. In particular, knowledge-based approaches emerged and evolved to address a multitude of issues such as absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME), potency, toxicity and overall drugability. Each of these approaches seeks to bring together all relevant pieces of information and create a knowledge-oriented process to deploy such information in drug discovery. This review focuses on work relating to drugability, which aims at obtaining hits (or leads) that have enhanced likelihoods of leading to successful clinical candidates by medicinal chemistry efforts. The period covered in this review is from 1997 (since the publication of Lipinski's rule of 5) to March 2002.