Design and synthesis of selective, dual fatty acid binding protein 4 and 5 inhibitors.

Dual inhibition of fatty acid binding proteins 4 and 5 (FABP4 and FABP5) is expected to provide beneficial effects on a number of metabolic parameters such as insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels and should protect against atherosclerosis. Starting from a FABP4 selective focused screening hit, biostructure information was used to modulate the selectivity profile in the desired way and to design potent dual FABP4/5 inhibitors with good selectivity against FABP3. With very good pharmacokinetic properties and no major safety alerts, compound 12 was identified as a suitable tool compound for further in vivo investigations.

Challenges and Rewards in Medicinal Chemistry Targeting Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases.

Medicinal chemistry has been transformed by major technological and conceptual innovations over the last three decades: structural biology and bioinformatics, structure and property based molecular design, the concepts of multidimensional optimization (MDO), in silico and experimental high-throughput molecular property analysis. The novel technologies advanced gradually and in synergy with biology and Roche has been at the forefront. Applications in drug discovery programs towards new medicines in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are highlighted to show impact and advancement: the early discovery of endothelin antagonists for endothelial dysfunction (Bosentan), 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11ß-HSD1) inhibitors for dysregulated cellular glucocorticoid tonus (type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome) and non-covalent hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) inhibitors to study the scope of direct inhibition of lipolysis in the conceptual frame of lipotoxicity and type 2 diabetes.

Challenges and Rewards in Medicinal Chemistry Targeting Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases.

Medicinal chemistry has been transformed by major technological and conceptual innovations over the last three decades: structural biology and bioinformatics, structure and property based molecular design, the concepts of multidimensional optimization (MDO), in silico and experimental high-throughput molecular property analysis. The novel technologies advanced gradually and in synergy with biology and Roche has been at the forefront. Applications in drug discovery programs towards new medicines in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are highlighted to show impact and advancement: the early discovery of endothelin antagonists for endothelial dysfunction (Bosentan), 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11ß-HSD1) inhibitors for dysregulated cellular glucocorticoid tonus (type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome) and non-covalent hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) inhibitors to study the scope of direct inhibition of lipolysis in the conceptual frame of lipotoxicity and type 2 diabetes.

Pyrido pyrimidinones as selective agonists of the high affinity niacin receptor GPR109A: optimization of in vitro activity.

Pyrido pyrimidinones are selective agonists of the human high affinity niacin receptor GPR109A (HM74A). They show no activity on the highly homologous low affinity receptor GPR109B (HM74). Starting from a high throughput screening hit the in vitro activity of the pyrido pyrimidinones was significantly improved providing lead compounds suitable for further optimization.

Total synthesis of pyridovericin: studies toward the biomimetic synthesis of pyridomacrolidin.

[reaction: see text] The total synthesis of the novel metabolite pyridovericin 1 is reported. The synthesis of this key intermediate in our proposed biomimetic synthesis of pyridomacrolidin 2 has been accomplished in good yield from readily available 2,4-dihydroxypyridine.