Discovery of ARD-1676 as a Highly Potent and Orally Efficacious AR PROTAC Degrader with a Broad Activity against AR Mutants for the Treatment of AR + Human Prostate Cancer.

We report herein the discovery and extensive characterization of ARD-1676, a highly potent and orally efficacious PROTAC degrader of the androgen receptor (AR). ARD-1676 was designed using a new class of AR ligands and a novel cereblon ligand. It has DC50 values of 0.1 and 1.1 nM in AR+ VCaP and LNCaP cell lines, respectively, and IC50 values of 11.5 and 2.8 nM in VCaP and LNCaP cell lines, respectively. ARD-1676 effectively induces degradation of a broad panel of clinically relevant AR mutants. ARD-1676 has an oral bioavailability of 67, 44, 31, and 99% in mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys, respectively. Oral administration of ARD-1676 effectively reduces the level of AR protein in the VCaP tumor tissue in mice and inhibits tumor growth in the VCaP mouse xenograft tumor model without any sign of toxicity. ARD-1676 is a highly promising development candidate for the treatment of AR+ human prostate cancer.

Discovery of SMD-3040 as a Potent and Selective SMARCA2 PROTAC Degrader with Strong in vivo Antitumor Activity.

SMARCA2 is an attractive synthetic lethality target for human cancers with SMARCA4 deficiency. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of selective SMARCA2 protein degraders developed using the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology. Our efforts have led to the discovery of a series of potent and selective SMARCA2 degraders, exemplified by SMD-3040. SMD-3040 degrades SMARCA2 protein with a low nanomolar DC50 and Dmax > 90% and demonstrates an excellent degradation selectivity for SMARCA2 protein over SMARCA4 protein. It displays potent cell growth inhibitory activity in a panel of SMARCA4-deficient cancer cell lines and has much weaker activity in SMARCA4 wild-type cancer cell lines. SMD-3040 achieves strong tumor growth inhibition in two SMARCA4-deficient xenograft models at well-tolerated dose schedules. Further optimization of SMD-3040 may lead to the discovery of new therapies for the treatment of human cancers with SMARCA4 deficiency.

Discovery of ARD-2051 as a Potent and Orally Efficacious Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) Degrader of Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of Advanced Prostate Cancer.

We report the discovery of ARD-2051 as a potent and orally efficacious androgen receptor (AR) proteolysis-targeting chimera degrader. ARD-2051 achieves DC50 values of 0.6 nM and Dmax >90% in inducing AR protein degradation in both the LNCaP and VCaP prostate cancer cell lines, potently and effectively suppresses AR-regulated genes, and inhibits cancer cell growth. ARD-2051 achieves a good oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile in mouse, rat, and dog. A single oral dose of ARD-2051 strongly reduces AR protein and suppresses AR-regulated gene expression in the VCaP xenograft tumor tissue in mice. Oral administration of ARD-2051 effectively inhibits VCaP tumor growth and causes no signs of toxicity in mice. ARD-2051 is a promising AR degrader for advanced preclinical development for the treatment of AR+ human cancers.

Discovery of ARD-2585 as an Exceptionally Potent and Orally Active PROTAC Degrader of Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of Advanced Prostate Cancer.

We report herein the discovery of exceptionally potent and orally bioavailable PROTAC AR degraders with ARD-2585 being the most promising compound. ARD-2585 achieves DC50 values of ≤0.1 nM in the VCaP cell line with AR gene amplification and in the LNCaP cell line carrying an AR mutation. It potently inhibits cell growth with IC50 values of 1.5 and 16.2 nM in the VCaP and LNCaP cell lines, respectively, and achieves excellent pharmacokinetics and 51% of oral bioavailability in mice. It is more efficacious than enzalutamide in inhibition of VCaP tumor growth and does not cause any sign of toxicity in mice. ARD-2585 is a promising AR degrader for extensive investigations for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Strategies toward Discovery of Potent and Orally Bioavailable Proteolysis Targeting Chimera Degraders of Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer.

Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) small-molecule degraders have emerged as a promising new type of therapeutic agents, but the design of PROTAC degraders with excellent oral pharmacokinetics is a major challenge. In this study, we present our strategies toward the discovery of highly potent PROTAC degraders of androgen receptor (AR) with excellent oral pharmacokinetics. Employing thalidomide to recruit cereblon/cullin 4A E3 ligase and through the rigidification of the linker, we discovered highly potent AR degraders with good oral pharmacokinetic properties in mice with ARD-2128 being the best compound. ARD-2128 achieves 67% oral bioavailability in mice, effectively reduces AR protein and suppresses AR-regulated genes in tumor tissues with oral administration, leading to the effective inhibition of tumor growth in mice without signs of toxicity. This study supports the development of an orally active PROTAC AR degrader for the treatment of prostate cancer and provides insights and guidance into the design of orally active PROTAC degraders.

Discovery of Highly Potent and Efficient PROTAC Degraders of Androgen Receptor (AR) by Employing Weak Binding Affinity VHL E3 Ligase Ligands.

Androgen receptor (AR) is a validated therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We report herein our design, synthesis, and biological characterization of highly potent small-molecule proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) AR degraders using a potent AR antagonist and E3 ligase ligands with weak binding affinities to VHL protein. Our study resulted in the discovery of 11 (ARD-266), which effectively induces degradation of AR protein in AR-positive (AR+) LNCaP, VCaP, and 22Rv1 prostate cancer cell lines with DC50 values of 0.2-1 nM. ARD-266 is capable of reducing the AR protein level by >95% in these AR+ prostate cancer cell lines and effectively reduces AR-regulated gene expression suppression. For the first time, we demonstrated that an E3 ligand with micromolar binding affinity to its E3 ligase complex can be successfully employed for the design of highly potent and efficient PROTAC degraders and this finding may have a significant implication for the field of PROTAC research.

Discovery of ERD-308 as a Highly Potent Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) Degrader of Estrogen Receptor (ER).

The estrogen receptor (ER) is a validated target for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. Here, we describe the design, synthesis, and extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of small-molecule ERα degraders based on the proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTAC) concept. Our efforts have resulted in the discovery of highly potent and effective PROTAC ER degraders, as exemplified by ERD-308 (32). ERD-308 achieves DC50 (concentration causing 50% of protein degradation) values of 0.17 and 0.43 nM in MCF-7 and T47D ER+ breast cancer cell lines, respectively, and induces >95% of ER degradation at concentrations as low as 5 nM in both cell lines. Significantly, ERD-308 induces more complete ER degradation than fulvestrant, the only approved selective ER degrader (SERD), and is more effective in inhibition of cell proliferation than fulvestrant in MCF-7 cells. Further optimization of ERD-308 may lead to a new therapy for advanced ER+ breast cancer.

Direct Enantioselective and Regioselective Alkylation of ß,γ-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids with Chiral Lithium Amides as Traceless Auxiliaries.

Efficient asymmetric alkylation of ß,γ-unsaturated carboxylic acids without prior functionalization is enabled by chiral lithium amides. Enantioselectivity is imparted by a putative mixed lithium amide-enediolate aggregate that acts a traceless auxiliary formed in situ, allowing for a direct asymmetric alkylation and a simple recovery of the chiral reagent.

Cyclic Anti-Azacarboxylation of 2-Alkynylanilines with Carbon Dioxide.

Direct anti-azacarboxylation of 2-alkynylanilines with CO2 mediated by ZnEt2 was observed to afford indole-3-carboxylic acids, a class of important compounds for the synthesis of many biologically active compounds, efficiently under 1 atm of CO2. The readily available nature of the different starting materials and tolerance of various functional groups provide vast opportunities for the efficient construction of diversified libraries for bioactive compounds listed in Figure 1 . As an example, this methodology has been applied to the synthesis of Lotronex, a drug molecule used for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

The Renaissance of an Old Problem: Highly Regioselective Carboxylation of 2-Alkynyl Bromides with Carbon Dioxide.

A steric effect-controlled, zinc-mediated carboxylation of different 2-alkynyl bromides under an atmospheric pressure of CO2 has been developed by careful tuning of different reaction parameters, including the metal, solvent, temperature, and additive. 2-Substituted 2,3-allenoic acids were afforded from primary 2-alkynyl bromides, whereas the carboxylation of secondary 2-alkynyl bromides yielded 3-alkynoic acids in decent yields. A rationale for the observed regioselectivity has been proposed.

Direct carboxylation of allylic halides with carbon dioxide in the presence of indium.

A highly regioselective indium-mediated allylation of carbon dioxide starting from simple allylic halides (X = I, Br, Cl) has been developed. No transition metal catalyst is needed and an inert atmosphere is not necessary. The reaction tolerates a wide range of synthetically attractive functional groups with a very high branched regioselectivity.

Enantioselective double manipulation of tetrahydroisoquinolines with terminal alkynes and aldehydes under copper(I) catalysis.

Tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids with a C1 stereogenic center are a common unit in many natural and non-natural compounds of biological importance. Herein we describe a novel Cu(I) -catalyzed highly chemo- and enantioselective synthesis of chiral tetrahydroisoquinoline-alkaloid derivatives from readily available unsubstituted tetrahydroisoquinolines, aldehydes, and terminal alkynes in the presence of the ligand (R,R)-N-pinap. This synthetic operation installs two substituents in the 1- and 2-positions.

Bimetallic enantioselective approach to axially chiral allenes.

An efficient bimetallic Zn(II)/Cu(I)-mediated asymmetric synthesis of simple axially chiral allenes from terminal alkynes and aldehydes was realized by taking advantage of the chiral amine (S)-α,α-diphenylprolinol 3. This one-pot procedure is compatible with broad scopes of both terminal alkynes and aldehydes, providing axially chiral allenes in practical yields with an excellent enantioselectivity. Control experiments revealed that CuBr is responsible for the efficient formation of propargylic amine while the combination of CuBr and ZnBr2 plays crucial roles in the amine-to-allene transformation.

Carbometalation-carboxylation of 2,3-allenols with carbon dioxide: a dramatic effect of halide anion.

The cyclic organometallic intermediates formed via CuCl-mediated highly regio- and stereoselective carbomagnesiation of 2,3-allenols with Grignard reagents may smoothly react with carbon dioxide to afford 2(5H)-furanones. A dramatic effect of the halide anion from the Grignard reagent (Br vs Cl) for CO(2) activation was observed. The reaction proceeded smoothly under mild conditions to afford the products in 58-93% yields.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of optically active allenes from terminal alkynes.

CuBr and ZnI(2) have been developed as catalysts or subcatalysts for the efficient asymmetric synthesis of axially chiral allenols with up to 97% ee from readily available propargylic alcohols, aliphatic or aromatic aldehyde, pyrrolidine, and commerically available ligands. The alcohol unit in the terminal alkynes plays a very important role for ensuring high enantioselectivity via coordination.