Mass spectrometric characterization of circulating covalent protein adducts derived from a drug acyl glucuronide metabolite: multiple albumin adductions in diclofenac patients.

Covalent protein modifications by electrophilic acyl glucuronide (AG) metabolites are hypothetical causes of hypersensitivity reactions associated with certain carboxylate drugs. The complex rearrangements and reactivities of drug AG have been defined in great detail, and protein adducts of carboxylate drugs, such as diclofenac, have been found in liver and plasma of experimental animals and humans. However, in the absence of definitive molecular characterization, and specifically, identification of signature glycation conjugates retaining the glucuronyl and carboxyl residues, it cannot be assumed any of these adducts is derived uniquely or even fractionally from AG metabolites. We have therefore undertaken targeted mass spectrometric analyses of human serum albumin (HSA) isolated from diclofenac patients to characterize drug-: derived structures and, thereby, for the first time, have deconstructed conclusively the pathways of adduct formation from a drug AG and its isomeric rearrangement products in vivo. These analyses were informed by a thorough understanding of the reactions of HSA with diclofenac AG in vitro. HSA from six patients without drug-: related hypersensitivities had either a single drug-: derived adduct or one of five combinations of 2-8 adducts from among seven diclofenac N-acylations and three AG glycations on seven of the protein's 59 lysines. Only acylations were found in every patient. We present evidence that HSA modifications by diclofenac in vivo are complicated and variable, that at least a fraction of these modifications are derived from the drug's AG metabolite, and that albumin adduction is not inevitably a causation of hypersensitivity to carboxylate drugs or a coincidental association.

Discovery of a series of indan carboxylic acid glycogen phosphorylase inhibitors.

A series of carboxylic acid glycogen phosphorylase inhibitors, which have potential as oral antidiabetic agents, is described. Defining and applying simple physicochemical design criteria was used to assess the opportunity and to focus synthetic efforts on compounds with the greatest probability of success. The study led to compound 17, which exhibits a good balance of properties including potent inhibition of recombinant human liver glycogen phosphorylase in vitro, a good DMPK profile including excellent bioavailability and low clearance and good in vivo activity in a glucagon challenge model of diabetes in Zucker rats.

Free-Wilson and structural approaches to co-optimizing human and rodent isoform potency for 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) inhibitors.

11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11ß-HSD1) has been a target of intensive research efforts across the pharmaceutical industry, due to its potential for the treatment of type II diabetes and other elements of the metabolic syndrome. To demonstrate the value of 11ß-HSD1 in preclinical models, we required inhibitors with good potency against both human and rodent isoforms. Herein, we describe our efforts to understand how to co-optimize human and murine potency within the (5-hydroxy-2-adamantyl)-pyrimidine-5-carboxamide series. Two approaches are described-a data-driven (Free-Wilson) analysis and a structure-based design approach. The conclusions from these approaches were used to inform an efficient campaign to design compounds with consistently good human/murine potency within a logD(7.4) range of 1-3. Compounds 20 and 26 demonstrated good rodent PK, which allowed us to demonstrate a PK/PD relationship in rat and mouse. We then evaluated 26 against glycemic and body weight end points in murine disease models, where it demonstrated glucose and body weight efficacy at 300 mg/kg/day but only body weight efficacy at 50 mg/kg/day, despite providing >90% target engagement in the liver.

Novel thienopyrrole glycogen phosphorylase inhibitors: synthesis, in vitro SAR and crystallographic studies.

Two series of novel thienopyrrole inhibitors of recombinant human liver glycogen phosphorylase a (GPa) which are effective in reducing glucose output from rat hepatocytes are described. Representative compounds have been shown to bind at the dimer interface site of the rabbit muscle enzyme by X-ray crystallography.