A kinase-cGAS cascade to synthesize a therapeutic STING activator.

The introduction of molecular complexity in an atom- and step-efficient manner remains an outstanding goal in modern synthetic chemistry. Artificial biosynthetic pathways are uniquely able to address this challenge by using enzymes to carry out multiple synthetic steps simultaneously or in a one-pot sequence1-3. Conducting biosynthesis ex vivo further broadens its applicability by avoiding cross-talk with cellular metabolism and enabling the redesign of key biosynthetic pathways through the use of non-natural cofactors and synthetic reagents4,5. Here we describe the discovery and construction of an enzymatic cascade to MK-1454, a highly potent stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activator under study as an immuno-oncology therapeutic6,7 (ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT04220866 ). From two non-natural nucleotide monothiophosphates, MK-1454 is assembled diastereoselectively in a one-pot cascade, in which two thiotriphosphate nucleotides are simultaneously generated biocatalytically, followed by coupling and cyclization catalysed by an engineered animal cyclic guanosine-adenosine synthase (cGAS). For the thiotriphosphate synthesis, three kinase enzymes were engineered to develop a non-natural cofactor recycling system in which one thiotriphosphate serves as a cofactor in its own synthesis. This study demonstrates the substantial capacity that currently exists to use biosynthetic approaches to discover and manufacture complex, non-natural molecules.

Discovery of MK-1454: A Potent Cyclic Dinucleotide Stimulator of Interferon Genes Agonist for the Treatment of Cancer.

Stereochemically and structurally complex cyclic dinucleotide-based stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists were designed and synthesized to access a previously unexplored chemical space. The assessment of biochemical affinity and cellular potency, along with computational, structural, and biophysical characterization, was applied to influence the design and optimization of novel STING agonists, resulting in the discovery of MK-1454 as a molecule with appropriate properties for clinical development. When administered intratumorally to immune-competent mice-bearing syngeneic tumors, MK-1454 exhibited robust tumor cytokine upregulation and effective antitumor activity. Tumor shrinkage in mouse models that are intrinsically resistant to single-agent therapy was further enhanced when treating the animals with MK-1454 in combination with a fully murinized antimouse PD-1 antibody, mDX400. These data support the development of STING agonists in combination with pembrolizumab (humanized anti-PD-1 antibody) for patients with tumors that are partially responsive or nonresponsive to single-agent anti-PD-1 therapy.

A practical synthesis of renin inhibitor MK-1597 (ACT-178882) via catalytic enantioselective hydrogenation and epimerization of piperidine intermediate.

A practical enantioselective synthesis of renin inhibitor MK-1597 (ACT-178882), a potential new treatment for hypertension, is described. The synthetic route provided MK-1597 in nine steps and 29% overall yield from commercially available p-cresol (7). The key features of this sequence include a catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of a tetrasubstituted ene-ester, a highly efficient epimerization/saponification sequence of 4 which sets both stereocenters of the molecule, and a short synthesis of amine fragment 2.

Discovery of MK-4688: an Efficient Inhibitor of the HDM2-p53 Protein-Protein Interaction.

Identification of low-dose, low-molecular-weight, drug-like inhibitors of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is a challenging area of research. Despite the challenges, the therapeutic potential of PPI inhibition has driven significant efforts toward this goal. Adding to recent success in this area, we describe herein our efforts to optimize a novel purine carboxylic acid-derived inhibitor of the HDM2-p53 PPI into a series of low-projected dose inhibitors with overall favorable pharmacokinetic and physical properties. Ultimately, a strategy focused on leveraging known binding hot spots coupled with biostructural information to guide the design of conformationally constrained analogs and a focus on efficiency metrics led to the discovery of MK-4688 (compound 56), a highly potent, selective, and low-molecular-weight inhibitor suitable for clinical investigation.

Direct asymmetric reductive amination.

Asymmetric reductive amination of beta-keto amides catalyzed by the chiral catalyst Ru(OAc)(2)((R)-dm-segphos) produces unprotected beta-amino amides with high yields and high enantioselectivities (94.7-99.5% ee). This "one-pot" methodology is general in substrate scope and has been successfully employed to produce sitagliptin with 99.5% ee and 91% assay yield. The excellent reaction efficiency is attributed to the remarkable tolerance to high concentrations of ammonium ion, the high chemoselectivity, and the high enantioselectivity (99.5% ee) of the Ru catalyst system.

One-step synthesis of alpha-chloro acetophenones from acid chlorides and aryl precursors.

A direct and efficient method was developed for the preparation of a variety of substituted acetophenone derivatives from readily available arene precursors and acid chlorides. This method has significant generality and affords access to substitution patterns on aryl rings not directly achievable by Friedel-Crafts chemistry. [reaction: see text].

Stereoselective enol tosylation: preparation of trisubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated esters.

[Reaction: see text] The stereoselective preparation of (E)- or (Z)-trisubstituted alpha,beta-unsaturated esters in three steps from N-protected glycine is presented. The key step in the synthesis is the highly selective enol tosylation of gamma-amino beta-keto esters. The enol tosylates are stable, crystalline compounds that undergo smooth and effective Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction with a variety of aryl boronic acids.

Discovery of 5-Amino-N-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-3-carboxamide Inhibitors of IRAK4.

Interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is an essential signal transducer downstream of the IL-1R and TLR superfamily, and selective inhibition of the kinase activity of the protein represents an attractive target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. A series of 5-amino-N-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-3-carboxamides was developed via sequential modifications to the 5-position of the pyrazolopyrimidine ring and the 3-position of the pyrazole ring. Replacement of substituents responsible for poor permeability and improvement of physical properties guided by cLogD led to the identification of IRAK4 inhibitors with excellent potency, kinase selectivity, and pharmacokinetic properties suitable for oral dosing.

Stereoselective organozinc addition reactions to 1,2-dihydropyrans for the assembly of complex pyran structures.

[reaction: see text] Nucleophilic addition of organozincs to 1,2-dihydropyranyl acetates represents a new, broadly defined method for the stereocontrolled synthesis of alpha-substituted pyrans. The products obtained from this process are versatile materials that can be used to construct C-glycosides and other functionalized pyran structures of import. The occurrence of pyranyl groups in both natural products and therapeutically active agents confers added value to the studies described herein.

Synthetic and Structural Studies of Titanium Aminotroponiminate Complexes.

The synthesis and characterization of a series of Ti(III) and Ti(IV) aminotroponiminate complexes are described. Six-coordinate [TiMe(2)(Me(2)ATI)(2)] and [TiPh(2)(Me(2)ATI)(2)] were synthesized and structurally characterized, where Me(2)ATI is N,N'-dimethylaminotroponiminate. The mono-alkyl complexes [TiClR(Me(2)ATI)(2)], R = Me, CH(2)SiMe(3), were prepared, and treatment of the former, generated in situ, with PhMgCl yielded the alkyl-aryl complex [TiMePh(Me(2)ATI)(2)]. The solid state structures of most of these complexes were determined and reveal slightly distorted, trigonal-prismatic coordination geometries. Attempts to prepare alkyl complexes containing beta-hydrogen atoms resulted instead in the isolation of [Ti(Me(2)ATI)(3)] or [Ti(2)Cl(2)(Me(2)ATI)(4)], depending on the alkyl reagent and stoichiometry. Because of the modest steric requirements of the {Ti(Me(2)ATI)(2)}(2+) fragment, five-coordinate Ti(IV) complexes were only generated with a bulky sigma-2pi donor ligand, [Ti(N-(2,6)-i-Pr(2)C(6)H(3))(Me(2)ATI)(2)] being a specific example. Attempts to prepare the isoelectronic oxo analogue afforded only dimeric [Ti(2)O(2)(Me(2)ATI)(4)]. Comparison of the metrical parameters for these complexes with those in the literature containing aryloxide and benzamidinate ligands indicate that the {Ti(Me(2)ATI)(2)}(2+) fragment is quite electron releasing.

1,3,8-Triazaspiro[4.5]decane-2,4-diones as efficacious pan-inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase 1-3 (HIF PHD1-3) for the treatment of anemia.

The discovery of 1,3,8-triazaspiro[4.5]decane-2,4-diones (spirohydantoins) as a structural class of pan-inhibitors of the prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) family of enzymes for the treatment of anemia is described. The initial hit class, spirooxindoles, was identified through affinity selection mass spectrometry (AS-MS) and optimized for PHD2 inhibition and optimal PK/PD profile (short-acting PHDi inhibitors). 1,3,8-Triazaspiro[4.5]decane-2,4-diones (spirohydantoins) were optimized as an advanced lead class derived from the original spiroindole hit. A new set of general conditions for C-N coupling, developed using a high-throughput experimentation (HTE) technique, enabled a full SAR analysis of the spirohydantoins. This rapid and directed SAR exploration has resulted in the first reported examples of hydantoin derivatives with good PK in preclinical species. Potassium channel off-target activity (hERG) was successfully eliminated through the systematic introduction of acidic functionality to the molecular structure. Undesired upregulation of alanine aminotransferese (ALT) liver enzymes was mitigated and a robust on-/off-target margin was achieved. Spirohydantoins represent a class of highly efficacious, short-acting PHD1-3 inhibitors causing a robust erythropoietin (EPO) upregulation in vivo in multiple preclinical species. This profile deems spirohydantoins as attractive short-acting PHDi inhibitors with the potential for treatment of anemia.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of protected allylic amines.

A general method for the enantioselective hydrogenation of protected allylic amine derivatives is described. This procedure relies on the generation of a cationic ruthenium complex with the axially chiral ligand (-)-TMBTP. The utility is highlighted by the highly enantioselective hydrogenation of a diene substrate that can then be elaborated to prepare Telcagepant, a compound currently in Phase III clinical trials. The scope of the hydrogenation reaction was studied, and a variety of substituted allylic amine derivatives could be hydrogenated with enantiomeric ratios of 92:8 or higher.

Controlling olefin geometry with Pd catalysis: selective formation of Z-olefins from both E- and Z-allylic carbonates.

The palladium-catalyzed formation of Z-olefins from allylic carbonates and a variety of protected dialkyl aminomalonates is reported. The reaction is selective for the Z-isomer, and either acetyl, Boc, or formyl protecting groups are tolerated. The Z-olefin product can be formed regardless of whether the E- or Z-allylic carbonate is used as starting material.

Enol tosylates as viable partners in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

[reaction: see text] Herein we demonstrate functionalized enol tosylates to be robust substrates that undergo Suzuki-Miyaura, Sonogashira, and Stille cross-coupling reactions to provide stereodefined trisubstituted unsaturated esters.