Discovery of Novel Central Nervous System Penetrant Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 2 (mGlu2) Negative Allosteric Modulators (NAMs) Based on Functionalized Pyrazolo[1,5- a]pyrimidine-5-carboxamide and Thieno[3,2- b]pyridine-5-carboxamide Cores.

A scaffold hopping exercise from a monocyclic mGlu2 NAM with poor rodent PK led to two novel heterobicyclic series of mGlu2 NAMs based on either a functionalized pyrazolo[1,5- a]pyrimidine-5-carboxamide core or a thieno[3,2- b]pyridine-5-carboxamide core. These novel analogues possess enhanced rodent PK, while also maintaining good mGlu2 NAM potency, selectivity (versus mGlu3 and the remaining six mGlu receptors), and high CNS penetration. Interestingly, SAR was divergent between the new 5,6-heterobicyclic systems.

Discovery of imidazo[1,2-a]-, [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]-, and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-8-carboxamide negative allosteric modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5.

Based on a hypothesis that an intramolecular hydrogen bond was present in our lead series of picolinamide mGlu5 NAMs, we reasoned that an inactive nicotinamide series could be modified through introduction of a fused heterocyclic core to generate potent mGlu5 NAMs. In this Letter, we describe the synthesis and evaluation of compounds that demonstrate the viability of that approach. Selected analogs were profiled in a variety of in vitro assays, and two compounds were evaluated in rat pharmacokinetic studies and a mouse model of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Ancillary pharmacology screening revealed that members of this series exhibited moderate inhibition of the dopamine transporter (DAT), and SAR was developed that expanded the selectivity for mGlu5 versus DAT.

Discovery of N-(5-Fluoropyridin-2-yl)-6-methyl-4-(pyrimidin-5-yloxy)picolinamide (VU0424238): A Novel Negative Allosteric Modulator of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 Selected for Clinical Evaluation.

Preclinical evidence in support of the potential utility of mGlu5 NAMs for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders is extensive, and multiple such molecules have entered clinical trials. Despite some promising results from clinical studies, no small molecule mGlu5 NAM has yet to reach market. Here we present the discovery and evaluation of N-(5-fluoropyridin-2-yl)-6-methyl-4-(pyrimidin-5-yloxy)picolinamide (27, VU0424238), a compound selected for clinical evaluation. Compound 27 is more than 900-fold selective for mGlu5 versus the other mGlu receptors, and binding studies established a Ki value of 4.4 nM at a known allosteric binding site. Compound 27 had a clearance of 19.3 and 15.5 mL/min/kg in rats and cynomolgus monkeys, respectively. Imaging studies using a known mGlu5 PET ligand demonstrated 50% receptor occupancy at an oral dose of 0.8 mg/kg in rats and an intravenous dose of 0.06 mg/kg in baboons.

A novel class of succinimide-derived negative allosteric modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1 provides insight into a disconnect in activity between the rat and human receptors.

Recent progress in the discovery of mGlu1 allosteric modulators has suggested the modulation of mGlu1 could offer possible treatment for a number of central nervous system disorders; however, the available chemotypes are inadequate to fully investigate the therapeutic potential of mGlu1 modulation. To address this issue, we used a fluorescence-based high-throughput screening assay to screen an allosteric modulator-biased library of compounds to generate structurally diverse mGlu1 negative allosteric modulator hits for chemical optimization. Herein, we describe the discovery and characterization of a novel mGlu1 chemotype. This series of succinimide negative allosteric modulators, exemplified by VU0410425, exhibited potent inhibitory activity at rat mGlu1 but was, surprisingly, inactive at human mGlu1. VU0410425 and a set of chemically diverse mGlu1 negative allosteric modulators previously reported in the literature were utilized to examine this species disconnect between rat and human mGlu1 activity. Mutation of the key transmembrane domain residue 757 and functional screening of VU0410425 and the literature compounds suggests that amino acid 757 plays a role in the activity of these compounds, but the contribution of the residue is scaffold specific, ranging from critical to minor. The operational model of allosterism was used to estimate the binding affinities of each compound to compare to functional data. This novel series of mGlu1 negative allosteric modulators provides valuable insight into the pharmacology underlying the disconnect between rat and human mGlu1 activity, an issue that must be understood to progress the therapeutic potential of allosteric modulators of mGlu1.

Recent progress in the discovery and development of negative allosteric modulators of mGluR5.

Negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) have attracted significant interest in the pharmaceutical industry as potential therapies for a variety of diseases of the CNS. Well-characterized small-molecule mGluR5 NAMs have demonstrated efficacy in several preclinical models of disease, and examples of the clinical efficacy of such NAMs have been reported in recent years. Advances, both in the discovery and development of new small molecules and in the clinical evaluation of known compounds, have been significant in the past 2 years. Recent progress in preclinical drug discovery efforts has used multiple strategies for the discovery of new chemical scaffolds, including the structural modification of known compounds, the rational design of new chemical scaffolds based on known compounds, and the development of screening approaches for new, structurally distinct scaffolds. Progress in the clinical setting with mGluR5 NAMs has also resulted in important recent advances, including the completion of proof-of-concept studies.