Modeling Heartland virus disease in mice and therapeutic intervention with 4'-fluorouridine.

Heartland virus (HRTV) is an emerging tick-borne bandavirus that causes a febrile illness of varying severity in humans, with cases reported in eastern and midwestern regions of the United States. No vaccines or approved therapies are available to prevent or treat HRTV disease. Here, we describe the genetic changes, natural history of disease, and pathogenesis of a mouse-adapted HRTV (MA-HRTV) that is uniformly lethal in 7- to 8-week-old AG129 mice at low challenge doses. We used this model to assess the efficacy of the ribonucleoside analog, 4'-fluorouridine (EIDD-2749), and showed that once-daily oral treatment with 3 mg/kg of drug, initiated after the onset of disease, protects mice against lethal MA-HRTV challenge and reduces viral loads in blood and tissues. Our findings provide insights into HRTV virulence and pathogenesis and support further development of EIDD-2749 as a therapeutic intervention for HRTV disease. IMPORTANCE: More than 60 cases of HRTV disease spanning 14 states have been reported to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The expanding range of the Lone Star tick that transmits HRTV, the growing population of at-risk persons living in geographic areas where the tick is abundant, and the lack of antiviral treatments or vaccines raise significant public health concerns. Here, we report the development of a new small-animal model of lethal HRTV disease to gain insight into HRTV pathogenesis and the application of this model for the preclinical development of a promising new antiviral drug candidate, EIDD-2749. Our findings shed light on how the virus causes disease and support the continued development of EIDD-2749 as a therapeutic for severe cases of HRTV infection.

4'-Fluorouridine mitigates lethal infection with pandemic human and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.

Influenza outbreaks are associated with substantial morbidity, mortality and economic burden. Next generation antivirals are needed to treat seasonal infections and prepare against zoonotic spillover of avian influenza viruses with pandemic potential. Having previously identified oral efficacy of the nucleoside analog 4'-Fluorouridine (4'-FlU, EIDD-2749) against SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), we explored activity of the compound against seasonal and highly pathogenic influenza (HPAI) viruses in cell culture, human airway epithelium (HAE) models, and/or two animal models, ferrets and mice, that assess IAV transmission and lethal viral pneumonia, respectively. 4'-FlU inhibited a panel of relevant influenza A and B viruses with nanomolar to sub-micromolar potency in HAE cells. In vitro polymerase assays revealed immediate chain termination of IAV polymerase after 4'-FlU incorporation, in contrast to delayed chain termination of SARS-CoV-2 and RSV polymerase. Once-daily oral treatment of ferrets with 2 mg/kg 4'-FlU initiated 12 hours after infection rapidly stopped virus shedding and prevented transmission to untreated sentinels. Treatment of mice infected with a lethal inoculum of pandemic A/CA/07/2009 (H1N1)pdm09 (pdmCa09) with 4'-FlU alleviated pneumonia. Three doses mediated complete survival when treatment was initiated up to 60 hours after infection, indicating a broad time window for effective intervention. Therapeutic oral 4'-FlU ensured survival of animals infected with HPAI A/VN/12/2003 (H5N1) and of immunocompromised mice infected with pdmCa09. Recoverees were protected against homologous reinfection. This study defines the mechanistic foundation for high sensitivity of influenza viruses to 4'-FlU and supports 4'-FlU as developmental candidate for the treatment of seasonal and pandemic influenza.

ATI-2173, a Novel Liver-Targeted Non-Chain-Terminating Nucleotide for Hepatitis B Virus Cure Regimens.

ATI-2173 is a novel liver-targeted molecule designed to deliver the 5'-monophosphate of clevudine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection. Unlike other nucleos(t)ides, the active clevudine-5'-triphosphate is a noncompetitive, non-chain-terminating inhibitor of hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase that delivers prolonged reduction of viremia in both a woodchuck HBV model and in humans for up to 6 months after cessation of treatment. However, long-term clevudine treatment was found to exhibit reversible skeletal myopathy in a small subset of patients and was subsequently discontinued from development. ATI-2173 was designed by modifying clevudine with a 5'-phosphoramidate to deliver the 5'-monophosphate to the liver. Bypassing the first phosphorylation step of clevudine, the 5'-monophosphate is converted to the active 5'-triphosphate in the liver. ATI-2173 is a selective inhibitor of HBV with an anti-HBV 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 1.31 nM in primary human hepatocytes, with minimal to no toxicity in hepatocytes, skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, bone marrow, and cardiomyocytes. ATI-2173 activity was decreased by viral polymerase mutations associated with entecavir, lamivudine, and adefovir resistance, but not capsid inhibitor resistance mutations. A single oral dose of ATI-2173 demonstrated 82% hepatic extraction, no food effect, and greatly reduced peripheral exposure of clevudine compared with equimolar oral dosing of clevudine. Despite reduced plasma clevudine exposure, liver concentrations of the 5'-triphosphate were equivalent following ATI-2173 versus clevudine administration. By selectively delivering the 5'-monophosphate to the liver, while retaining the unique anti-HBV activity of the 5'-triphosphate, ATI-2173 may provide an improved pharmacokinetic profile for clinical use, reducing systemic exposure of clevudine and potentially eliminating skeletal myopathy.

Asymmetric synthesis of host-directed inhibitors of myxoviruses.

High-throughput screening (HTS) previously identified benzimidazole 1 (JMN3-003) as a compound with broad antiviral activity against different influenza viruses and paramyxovirus strains. In pursuit of a lead compound from this series for development, we sought to increase both the potency and the aqueous solubility of 1. Lead optimization has achieved compounds with potent antiviral activity against a panel of myxovirus family members (EC(50) values in the low nanomolar range) and much improved aqueous solubilities relative to that of 1. Additionally, we have devised a robust synthetic strategy for preparing 1 and congeners in an enantio-enriched fashion, which has allowed us to demonstrate that the (S)-enantiomers are generally 7- to 110-fold more potent than the corresponding (R)-isomers.

SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern type and biological sex affect efficacy of molnupiravir in dwarf hamster model of severe COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have triggered distinct infection waves in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, culminating in currently all-time high incidence rates of VOC omicron. Orally available direct-acting antivirals such as molnupiravir promise to improve disease management and limit SARS-CoV-2 spread. However, molnupiravir efficacy against VOC delta was questioned based on clinical trial results and its potency against omicron is unknown. This study evaluates molnupiravir against a panel of relevant VOC in three efficacy models: primary human airway epithelium organoids, the ferret model of upper respiratory disease, and a lethal Roborovski dwarf hamster efficacy model of severe COVID-19-like acute lung injury. All VOC were equally efficiently inhibited by molnupiravir in cultured cells and organoids. Treatment consistently reduced upper respiratory VOC shedding in ferrets and prevented viral transmission. Pathogenicity in the dwarf hamsters was VOC-dependent and highest for gamma, omicron, and delta with fulminant lung histopathology. Oral molnupiravir started 12 hours after infection resulted in complete survival of treated dwarf hamsters independent of challenge VOC. However, reduction in lung virus differed VOC-dependently, ranging from one (delta) to four (gamma) orders of magnitude compared to vehicle-treated animals. Dwarf hamsters infected with VOC omicron showed significant individual variation in response to treatment. Virus load reduction was significant in treated males, but not females. The dwarf hamster model recapitulates mixed efficacy of molnupiravir seen in human trials and alerts that therapeutic benefit of approved antivirals must be continuously reassessed in vivo as new VOC emerge.

SARS-CoV-2 VOC type and biological sex affect molnupiravir efficacy in severe COVID-19 dwarf hamster model.

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have triggered infection waves. Oral antivirals such as molnupiravir promise to improve disease management, but efficacy against VOC delta was questioned and potency against omicron is unknown. This study evaluates molnupiravir against VOC in human airway epithelium organoids, ferrets, and a lethal Roborovski dwarf hamster model of severe COVID-19-like lung injury. VOC were equally inhibited by molnupiravir in cells and organoids. Treatment reduced shedding in ferrets and prevented transmission. Pathogenicity in dwarf hamsters was VOC-dependent and highest for delta, gamma, and omicron. All molnupiravir-treated dwarf hamsters survived, showing reduction in lung virus load from one (delta) to four (gamma) orders of magnitude. Treatment effect size varied in individual dwarf hamsters infected with omicron and was significant in males, but not females. The dwarf hamster model recapitulates mixed efficacy of molnupiravir in human trials and alerts that benefit must be reassessed in vivo as VOC evolve.

Development of a novel progesterone analog in the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Although systemic progesterone (PROG) treatment has been shown to be neuroprotective by many laboratories and in multiple animal models of brain injury including traumatic brain injury (TBI), PROG's poor aqueous solubility limits its potential for use as a therapeutic agent. The problem of solubility presents challenges for an acute intervention for neural injury, when getting a neuroprotectant to the brain quickly is crucial. Native PROG (nPROG) is hydrophobic and does not readily dissolve in an aqueous-based medium, so this makes it harder to give under emergency field conditions. An agent with properties similar to those of PROG but easier to store, transport, formulate, and administer early in emergency trauma situations could lead to better and more consistent clinical outcomes following TBI. At the same time, the engineering of a new molecule designed to treat a complex systemic injury must anticipate a range of translational issues including solubility and bioavailability. Here we describe the development of EIDD-1723, a novel, highly stable PROG analog with >104-fold higher aqueous solubility than that of nPROG. We think that, with further testing, EIDD-1723 could become an attractive candidate use as a field-ready treatment for TBI patients. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Novel Treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury".

Discovery of Tetrahydroisoquinoline-Containing CXCR4 Antagonists with Improved in Vitro ADMET Properties.

CXCR4 is a seven-transmembrane receptor expressed by hematopoietic stem cells and progeny, as well as by ≥48 different cancers types. CXCL12, the only chemokine ligand of CXCR4, is secreted within the tumor microenvironment, providing sanctuary for CXCR4+ tumor cells from immune surveillance and chemotherapeutic elimination by (1) stimulating prosurvival signaling and (2) recruiting CXCR4+ immunosuppressive leukocytes. Additionally, distant CXCL12-rich niches attract and support CXCR4+ metastatic growths. Accordingly, CXCR4 antagonists can potentially obstruct CXCR4-mediated prosurvival signaling, recondition the CXCR4+ leukocyte infiltrate from immunosuppressive to immunoreactive, and inhibit CXCR4+ cancer cell metastasis. Current small molecule CXCR4 antagonists suffer from poor oral bioavailability and off-target liabilities. Herein, we report a series of novel tetrahydroisoquinoline-containing CXCR4 antagonists designed to improve intestinal absorption and off-target profiles. Structure-activity relationships regarding CXCR4 potency, intestinal permeability, metabolic stability, and cytochrome P450 inhibition are presented.

An orally available, small-molecule polymerase inhibitor shows efficacy against a lethal morbillivirus infection in a large animal model.

Measles virus is a highly infectious morbillivirus responsible for major morbidity and mortality in unvaccinated humans. The related, zoonotic canine distemper virus (CDV) induces morbillivirus disease in ferrets with 100% lethality. We report an orally available, shelf-stable pan-morbillivirus inhibitor that targets the viral RNA polymerase. Prophylactic oral treatment of ferrets infected intranasally with a lethal CDV dose reduced viremia and prolonged survival. Ferrets infected with the same dose of virus that received post-infection treatment at the onset of viremia showed low-grade viral loads, remained asymptomatic, and recovered from infection, whereas control animals succumbed to the disease. Animals that recovered also mounted a robust immune response and were protected against rechallenge with a lethal CDV dose. Drug-resistant viral recombinants were generated and found to be attenuated and transmission-impaired compared to the genetic parent virus. These findings may pioneer a path toward an effective morbillivirus therapy that could aid measles eradication by synergizing with vaccination to close gaps in herd immunity due to vaccine refusal.

Discovery of tetrahydroisoquinoline-based CXCR4 antagonists.

A de novo hit-to-lead effort involving the redesign of benzimidazole-containing antagonists of the CXCR4 receptor resulted in the discovery of a novel series of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) analogues. In general, this series of compounds show good potencies (3-650 nM) in assays involving CXCR4 function, including both inhibition of attachment of X4 HIV-1IIIB virus in MAGI-CCR5/CXCR4 cells and inhibition of calcium release in Chem-1 cells. Series profiling permitted the identification of TIQ-(R)-stereoisomer 15 as a potent and selective CXCR4 antagonist lead candidate with a promising in vitro profile. The drug-like properties of 15 were determined in ADME in vitro studies, revealing low metabolic liability potential. Further in vivo evaluations included pharmacokinetic experiments in rats and mice, where 15 was shown to have oral bioavailability (F = 63%) and resulted in the mobilization of white blood cells (WBCs) in a dose-dependent manner.

Non-nucleoside inhibitors of the measles virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase: synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and pharmacokinetics.

The measles virus (MeV), a member of the paramyxovirus family, is an important cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. In an effort to provide therapeutic treatments for improved measles management, we previously identified a small, non-nucleoside organic inhibitor of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase by means of high-throughput screening. Subsequent structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies around the corresponding pyrazole carboxamide scaffold led to the discovery of 2 (AS-136a), a first generation lead with low nanomolar potency against life MeV and attractive physical properties suitable for development. However, its poor water solubility and low oral bioavailability (F) in rat suggested that the lead could benefit from further SAR studies to improve the biophysical characteristics of the compound. Optimization of in vitro potency and aqueous solubility led to the discovery of 2o (ERDRP-00519), a potent inhibitor of MeV (EC(50) = 60 nM) with an aqueous solubility of approximately 60 µg/mL. The agent shows a 10-fold exposure (AUC/C(max)) increase in the rat model relative to 2, displays near dose proportionality in the range of 10-50 mg/kg, and exhibits good oral bioavailability (F = 39%). The significant solubility increase appears linked to the improved oral bioavailability.

A stereoselective synthesis of BMS-262084, an azetidinone-based tryptase inhibitor.

A highly stereoselective synthesis of the novel tryptase inhibitor BMS-262084 was developed. Key to this synthesis was the discovery and development of a highly diastereoselective demethoxycarbonylation of diester 12 to form the trans-azetidinone 13. BMS-262084 was prepared in 10 steps from D-ornithine in 30% overall yield.