Heteroarylureas with fused bicyclic diamine cores as inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase.

A series of mechanism-based heteroaryl urea fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors with fused bicyclic diamine cores is described. In contrast to compounds built around a piperazine core, most of the fused bicyclic diamine bearing analogs prepared exhibited greater potency against rFAAH than the human enzyme. Several compounds equipotent against both species were identified and profiled in vivo.

Identification and structure activity relationships of quinoline tertiary alcohol modulators of RORγt.

A high-throughput screen of the ligand binding domain of the nuclear receptor retinoic acid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) employing a thermal shift assay yielded a quinoline tertiary alcohol hit. Optimization of the 2-, 3- and 4-positions of the quinoline core using structure-activity relationships and structure-based drug design methods led to the discovery of a series of modulators with improved RORγt inhibitory potency and inverse agonism properties.

6-Substituted quinolines as RORγt inverse agonists.

We identified 6-substituted quinolines as modulators of the retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt). The synthesis of this class of RORγt modulators is reported, and optimization of the substituents at the quinoline 6-position that produced compounds with high affinity for the receptor is detailed. This effort identified molecules that act as potent, full inverse agonists in a RORγt-driven cell-based reporter assay. The X-ray crystal structures of two full inverse agonists from this chemical series bound to the RORγt ligand binding domain are disclosed, and we highlight the interaction of a hydrogen-bond acceptor on the 6-position substituent of the inverse agonist with Glu379:NH as a conserved binding contact.

The SAR of brain penetration for a series of heteroaryl urea FAAH inhibitors.

The SAR of brain penetration for a series of heteroaryl piperazinyl- and piperadinyl-urea fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors is described. Brain/plasma (B/P) ratios ranging from >4:1 to as low as 0.02:1 were obtained through relatively simple structural changes to various regions of the heteroaryl urea scaffold. It was not possible to predict the degree of central nervous system (CNS) penetration from the volumes of distribution (Vd) obtained from pharmacokinetic (PK) experiments as very high Vds did not correlate with high B/P ratios. Similarly, calculated topological polar surface areas (TPSAs) did not consistently correlate with the degree of brain penetration. The lowest B/P ratios were observed for those compounds that were significantly ionized at physiological pH. However, as this class of compounds inhibits the FAAH enzyme through covalent modification, low B/P ratios did not preclude effective central target engagement.

Heteroarylureas with spirocyclic diamine cores as inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase.

A series of mechanism based heteroaryl urea fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors with spirocyclic diamine cores is described. A potent member of this class, (37), was found to inhibit FAAH centrally, elevate the brain levels of three fatty acid ethanolamides [FAAs: anandamide (AEA), oleoyl ethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoyl ethanolamide (PEA)], and was moderately efficacious in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

1-Aryl-2-((6-aryl)pyrimidin-4-yl)amino)ethanols as competitive inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase.

A series of 1-aryl-2-(((6-aryl)pyrimidin-4-yl)amino)ethanols have been found to be competitive inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). One member of this class, JNJ-40413269, was found to have excellent pharmacokinetic properties, demonstrated robust central target engagement, and was efficacious in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Heteroaryl urea inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase: structure-mutagenicity relationships for arylamine metabolites.

The structure-activity relationships for a series of heteroaryl urea inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) are described. Members of this class of inhibitors have been shown to inactivate FAAH by covalent modification of an active site serine with subsequent release of an aromatic amine from the urea electrophile. Systematic Ames II testing guided the optimization of urea substituents by defining the structure-mutagenicity relationships for the released aromatic amine metabolites. Potent FAAH inhibitors were identified having heteroaryl amine leaving groups that were non-mutagenic in the Ames II assay.

Aryl Piperazinyl Ureas as Inhibitors of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) in Rat, Dog, and Primate.

A series of aryl piperazinyl ureas that act as covalent inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is described. A potent and selective (does not inhibit FAAH-2) member of this class, JNJ-40355003, was found to elevate the plasma levels of three fatty acid amides: anandamide, oleoyl ethanolamide, and palmitoyl ethanolamide, in the rat, dog, and cynomolgous monkey. The elevation of the levels of these lipids in the plasma of monkeys suggests that FAAH-2 may not play a significant role in regulating plasma levels of fatty acid ethanolamides in primates.

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.

Large-scale asymmetric synthesis of the bioprotective agent JP4-039 and analogs.

JP4-039 is a novel nitroxide conjugate capable of crossing lipid bilayer membranes and scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). An efficient and scalable one-pot hydrozirconation-transmetalation-imine addition methodology has been developed for its asymmetric preparation. Furthermore, this versatile methodology allows for the synthesis of cyclopropyl and fluorinated analogs of the parent lead structure.