N-(5-chloro-1,3-benzodioxol-4-yl)-7-[2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)ethoxy]-5- (tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yloxy)quinazolin-4-amine, a novel, highly selective, orally available, dual-specific c-Src/Abl kinase inhibitor.

Src family kinases (SFKs) are nonreceptor tyrosine kinases that are reported to be critical for cancer progression. We report here a novel subseries of C-5-substituted anilinoquinazolines that display high affinity and specificity for the tyrosine kinase domain of the c-Src and Abl enzymes. These compounds exhibit high selectivity for SFKs over a panel of recombinant protein kinases, excellent pharmacokinetics, and in vivo activity following oral dosing. N-(5-Chloro-1,3-benzodioxol-4-yl)-7-[2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)ethoxy]-5-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yloxy)quinazolin-4-amine (AZD0530) inhibits c-Src and Abl enzymes at low nanomolar concentrations and is highly selective over a range of kinases. AZD0530 displays excellent pharmacokinetic parameters in animal preclinically and in man (t(1/2) = 40 h). AZD0530 is a potent inhibitor of tumor growth in a c-Src-transfected 3T3-fibroblast xenograft model in vivo and led to a significant increase in survival in a highly aggressive, orthotopic model of human pancreatic cancer when dosed orally once daily. AZD0530 is currently undergoing clinical evaluation in man.

Recent developments related to the EGFR as a target for cancer chemotherapy.

Inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor as a target for cancer chemotherapy has proven to be an effective treatment in both preclinical and clinical settings. Recent work has indicated that the presence of somatic mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor is a major determinant of the response to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib. However, this is not the full story, and further work is needed to identify the factors underlying the response in those who do not carry mutations. Mechanisms of innate and acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors are also topics under investigation. Crosstalk between the epidermal growth factor receptor and other growth factor receptors involved in tumorigenesis has been implicated, along with downstream signalling molecules such as Ras, Braf and PTEN. A full understanding of these mechanistic aspects could lead to the identification of useful combinations of inhibitors of novel targets.

Discovery of a new class of anilinoquinazoline inhibitors with high affinity and specificity for the tyrosine kinase domain of c-Src.

Deregulated activity of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-Src is believed to result in signal transduction, cytoskeletal and adhesion changes, ultimately promoting a tumor-invasive phenotype. We report here the discovery of a new class of anilinoquinazoline inhibitors with high affinity and specificity for the tyrosine kinase domain of the c-Src enzyme. Special attention was directed toward finding inhibitors selective against KDR tyrosine kinase in order to ensure that the in vivo profile of a specific Src inhibitor could be determined. The 4-aminobenzodioxole quinazoline series gave compounds with excellent potency and selectivity. The most interesting compounds were evaluated in vivo and displayed good pharmacokinetics following oral dosing. Compounds such as the aminobenzodioxoles were shown to be potent inhibitors of tumor growth in a c-Src-transformed 3T3 xenograft model in vivo, resulting in more than 90% growth inhibition at doses as low as 6 mg/kg po once daily. Src tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as these may provide a novel therapeutic modality for targeting cancer invasion and metastasis.

Preclinical anticancer activity of the potent, oral Src inhibitor AZD0530.

AZD0530, an orally available Src inhibitor, demonstrated potent antimigratory and anti-invasive effects in vitro, and inhibited metastasis in a murine model of bladder cancer. Antiproliferative activity of AZD0530 in vitro varied between cell lines (IC(50) 0.2 ->10µM). AZD0530 inhibited tumor growth in 4/10 xenograft models tested and dynamically inhibited in vivo phosphorylation of Src substrates paxillin and FAK in both growth-inhibition-resistant and -sensitive xenografts. The activity of AZD0530 in NBT-II bladder cancer cells in vitro was consistent with inhibition of cell migration and stabilization of cell-cell adhesion. These data suggest a dominant anti-invasive pharmacology for AZD0530 that may limit tumor progression in a range of cancers. AZD0530 is currently in Phase II clinical trials.

New heterocyclic analogues of 4-(2-chloro-5-methoxyanilino)quinazolines as potent and selective c-Src kinase inhibitors.

A series of 5,7-disubstituted quinazolines, bearing 4-heteroaryl substituents such as 2-pyridinylamine or 2-pyrazinylamine, has been synthetised and evaluated as c-Src kinase inhibitors. Highly potent inhibition, high selectivity and physical properties suitable for oral dosing were achieved within this series: 23d and 42 were identified as sub-0.1muM inhibitors in a c-Src-driven cell proliferation assay and displayed adequate rat pharmacokinetics after oral administration.