Antagonists of human CCR5 receptor containing 4-(pyrazolyl)piperidine side chains. Part 1: Discovery and SAR study of 4-pyrazolylpiperidine side chains.

Replacement of the flexible connecting chains between the piperidine moiety and an aromatic group in previous CCR5 antagonists with heterocycles, such as pyrazole and isoxazole, provided potent CCR5 antagonists with excellent anti-HIV-1 activity in vitro. SAR studies revealed optimal placement of an unsubstituted nitrogen atom in the heterocycle to be meta to the bond connected to the 4-position of piperidine. Truncation of a benzyl group to a phenyl group afforded compounds with dramatically improved oral bioavailability, albeit with reduced activity.

Antagonists of human CCR5 receptor containing 4-(pyrazolyl)piperidine side chains. Part 2: Discovery of potent, selective, and orally bioavailable compounds.

Modifications of the alkyl acetic acid portion and the phenyl on pyrrolidine in our lead pyrazole compound 1 afforded the isopropyl compound 9. This compound is a potent CCR5 antagonist showing good in vitro antiviral activity against HIV-1, an excellent selectivity profile, and good oral bioavailability in three animal species. During this investigation, a new method for the preparation of alpha-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)-alpha,alpha-dialkyl acetic acid from a pyrrolidine and alpha-bromo-alpha,alpha-dialkyl acetic acid using silver triflate was discovered. This allowed us to prepare compounds such as 24 and 25 for the first time. A novel Pd-mediated N-dealkylation of alpha-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)acetic acid was also uncovered.

Antagonists of human CCR5 receptor containing 4-(pyrazolyl)piperidine side chains. Part 3: SAR studies on the benzylpyrazole segment.

Extensive SAR studies in our benzylpyrazole series of CCR5 antagonists have shown that both lipophilic and hydrophilic substituents on the phenyl of the benzyl group increase antiviral potency. However, improvements in pharmacokinetic profiles were generally only observed with more lipophilic substitutions. 4-Biphenyl (51) performed the best in this regard. Highly lipophilic substituents impart undesirable ion channel activity to these CCR5 antagonists. Alkoxy substituents provide a good balance of antiviral activity, pharmacokinetic parameters, and selectivity. Compounds 42b and 42d, containing a 3,4-dimethoxy substituent, are considered the most promising improvements over parent compounds 9. They demonstrate improved antiviral activity while retaining good pharmacokinetic profile and selectivity.

Pharmacokinetics and interactions of a novel antagonist of chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) with ritonavir in rats and monkeys: role of CYP3A and P-glycoprotein.

The mechanisms of pharmacokinetic interactions of a novel anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV-1) antagonist of chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) [2-(R)-[N-methyl-N-(1-(R)-3-(S)-((4-(3-benzyl-1-ethyl-(1H)-pyrazol-5-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-4-(S)-(3-fluorophenyl)cyclopent-1-yl)amino]-3-methylbutanoic acid (MRK-1)] with ritonavir were evaluated in rats and monkeys. MRK-1 was a good substrate for the human (MDR1) and mouse (Mdr1a) multidrug resistance protein transporters and was metabolized by CYP3A isozymes in rat, monkey, and human liver microsomes. Both the in vitro MDR1-mediated transport and oxidative metabolism of MRK-1 were inhibited by ritonavir. Although the systemic pharmacokinetics of MRK-1 in rats and monkeys were linear, the oral bioavailability increased with an increase in dose from 2 to 10 mg/kg. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of MRK-1 was increased 4- to 6-fold when a 2 or 10 mg/kg dose was orally coadministered with 10 mg/kg ritonavir. Further pharmacokinetic studies in rats indicated that P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibition by ritonavir increased the intestinal absorption of 2 mg/kg MRK-1 maximally by approximately 30 to 40%, and a major component of the interaction likely resulted from its reduced systemic clearance via the inhibition of CYP3A isozymes. Oral coadministration of quinidine (10 and 30 mg/kg) increased both the extent and the first-order rate of absorption of MRK-1 (2 mg/kg) by approximately 40 to 50% and approximately 100 to 300%, respectively, in rats, thus further substantiating the role of P-gp in modulating the intestinal absorption of MRK-1 in this species. At the 10 mg/kg MRK-1 dose, however, the entire increase in its AUC upon coadministration with ritonavir or quinidine could be attributed to a reduced systemic clearance, and no effects on intestinal absorption were apparent. In contrast to rats, the effects of P-gp in determining the intestinal absorption of MRK-1 appeared less significant in rhesus monkeys at either dose.

The pharmacokinetics of a thiazole benzenesulfonamide beta 3-adrenergic receptor agonist and its analogs in rats, dogs, and monkeys: improving oral bioavailability.

The pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of (R)-N-[4-[2-[[2-hydroxy-2-(pyridin-3-yl)ethyl]amino]ethyl]phenyl]-4-[4-[4-(trifluoromethylphenyl]thiazol-2-yl]benzenesulfonamide (1), a 3-pyridyl thiazole benzenesulfonamide beta3-adrenergic receptor agonist, were investigated in rats, dogs, and monkeys. Systemic clearance was higher in rats (approximately 30 ml/min/kg) than in dogs and monkeys (both approximately 10 ml/min/kg), and oral bioavailability was 17, 27, and 4%, respectively. Since systemic clearance was 25 to 40% of hepatic blood flow in these species, hepatic extraction was expected to be low, and it was likely that oral bioavailability was limited either by absorption or a large first-pass effect in the gut. The absorption and excretion of 3H-labeled 1 were investigated in rats, and only 28% of the administered radioactivity was orally absorbed. Subsequently, the hepatic extraction of 1 was evaluated in rats (30%) and monkeys (47%). The low oral bioavailability in rats could be explained completely by poor oral absorption and hepatic first-pass metabolism; in monkeys, oral absorption was either less than in rats or first-pass extraction in the gut was greater. In an attempt to increase oral exposure, the pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of two potential prodrugs of 1, an N-ethyl [(R)-N-[4-[2-[ethyl[2-hydroxy-2-(3-pyridinyl)ethyl]amino]ethyl]phenyl]-4-[4-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]thiazol-2-yl]benzenesulfonamide; 2] and a morpholine derivative [(R)-N-[4-[2-[2-(3-pyridinyl)morpholin-4-yl]ethyl]phenyl]-4-[4-[4-(trifluoromethyl)- phenyl]thiazol-2-yl]benzenesulfonamide; 3], were evaluated in monkeys. Conversion to 1 was low (<3%) with both derivatives, and neither entity was an effective prodrug, but the oral bioavailability of 3 (56%) compared with 1 (4%) was significantly improved. The hypothesis that the increased oral bioavailability of 3 was due to a reduction in hydrogen bonding sites in the molecule led to the design of (R)-N-[4-[2-[[2-hydroxy-2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl]amino]ethyl]phenyl]-4-[4-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl]benzenesulfonamide (4), a 2-pyridyl beta3-adrenergic receptor agonist with improved oral bioavailability in rats and monkeys.

Metabolism of a thiazole benzenesulfonamide derivative, a potent and elective agonist of the human beta3-adrenergic receptor, in rats: identification of a novel isethionic acid conjugate.

(R)-N-[4-[2-[[2-Hydroxy-2-(pyridin-3-yl)ethyl]amino]ethyl]phenyl]- 4-[4-(4-trifluoro-methylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl]benzenesulfonamide (1) is a potent and selective agonist of the human beta3-adrenergic receptor. We report herein the data from studies of the metabolism and excretion of 1 in rats. Five metabolites were identified in the bile of male Sprague-Dawley rats administered 3H-labeled 1 by either oral gavage (10 mg/kg) or intravenous injection (3 mg/kg). These included a pyridine N-oxide derivative (M2), a primary amine resulting from N-dealkylation and loss of the pyridinyl-2-hydroxyethyl group (M4), a carboxylic acid derived from N-dealkylation and loss of the pyridyl-2-hydroxyethyl amine (M5), and the corresponding taurine and isethionic acid conjugates (M1 and M3). Metabolites M1 and M3 also were identified in rats treated with M5 and were generated in incubations of M5 with rat liver subcellular fractions in the presence of ATP and coenzyme A with supplementary taurine or isethionic acid. These results suggest that M5 is the precursor of M1 and M3 and that the formation of these conjugated metabolites follows similar mechanisms of amino acid conjugation. On the other hand, M2, M4, and M5 were produced from 1 in an NADPH-dependent manner in incubations with liver microsomes from rats, dogs, monkeys, and humans. In human liver preparations, these routes of biotransformation were shown to be catalyzed by cytochrome P450 3A4. In a bidirectional transport assay, transport of 1 across a monolayer of cells expressing P-glycoprotein (Pgp) was observed to be similar to that of vinblastine, which is an established substrate of the transporter protein. This finding, together with the observation that the parent compound was excreted in the feces of bile duct-cannulated animals following intravenous dosing, suggests that 1 is subject to Pgp-mediated excretion from intestine of rats.