ABSTRACT
Computer-aided drug design encompasses a wide variety of tools and techniques, and can be implemented with a range of organisational structures and focus in different organisations. Here we outline the computational chemistry skills within Sygnature Discovery, along with the software and hardware at our disposal, and briefly discuss the methods that are not employed and why. The goal of the group is to provide support for design and analysis in order to improve the quality of compounds synthesised and reduce the timelines of drug discovery projects, and we reveal how this is achieved at Sygnature. Impact on medicinal chemistry is vital to demonstrating the value of computational chemistry, and we discuss the approaches taken to influence the list of compounds for synthesis, and how we recognise success. Finally we touch on some of the areas being developed within the team in order to provide further value to the projects and clients.
Subject(s)
Computer-Aided Design , Drug Discovery/methods , Drug Industry/methods , Computational Biology , Drug Design , Models, Molecular , Molecular Structure , Software , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
A ligand-based approach to identify potential starting points for a dual MCH-1R antagonist/DPPIV inhibitor medicinal chemistry program was undertaken. Potential ligand pairs were identified by analysis of MCH-1R and DPPIV in vitro data. A highly targeted synthetic effort lead to the discovery of pyridone 11, a dual MCH-1R antagonist/DPPIV inhibitor with selectivity over DPP8 and DPP9.
Subject(s)
Anti-Obesity Agents/chemical synthesis , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Hypoglycemic Agents/chemical synthesis , Pyridones/chemical synthesis , Receptors, Somatostatin/antagonists & inhibitors , Animals , Anti-Obesity Agents/pharmacology , CHO Cells , Cricetinae , Dipeptidases/antagonists & inhibitors , Dipeptidases/metabolism , Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/metabolism , Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors/pharmacology , Dipeptidyl-Peptidases and Tripeptidyl-Peptidases/antagonists & inhibitors , Dipeptidyl-Peptidases and Tripeptidyl-Peptidases/metabolism , Drug Design , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Ligands , Pyridones/pharmacology , Receptors, Somatostatin/metabolismABSTRACT
A series of potent carboxylic acid DGAT1 inhibitors with high permeability were developed from a virtual screening hit. Strategies were employed to reduce Pgp substrate recognition and increase passive permeability, resulting in the discovery of a series showing good inhibition of cellular triglyceride synthesis. The mutagenic potential of prospective metabolites was evaluated in the Ames assay, and one aniline was shown to be devoid of mutagenicity.