Discovery of ML314, a Brain Penetrant Non-Peptidic ß-Arrestin Biased Agonist of the Neurotensin NTR1 Receptor.

The neurotensin 1 receptor (NTR1) is an important therapeutic target for a range of disease states including addiction. A high throughput screening campaign, followed by medicinal chemistry optimization, led to the discovery of a non-peptidic ß-arrestin biased agonist for NTR1. The lead compound, 2-cyclopropyl-6,7-dimethoxy-4-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)- piperazin-1-yl)quinazoline, 32 (ML314), exhibits full agonist behavior against NTR1 (EC50 = 2.0 µM) in the primary assay and selectivity against NTR2. The effect of 32 is blocked by the NTR1 antagonist SR142948A in a dose dependent manner. Unlike peptide based NTR1 agonists, compound 32 has no significant response in a Ca2+ mobilization assay and is thus a biased agonist that activates the ß-arrestin pathway rather than the traditional G q coupled pathway. This bias has distinct biochemical and functional consequences that may lead to physiological advantages. Compound 32 displays good brain penetration in rodents, and studies examining its in vivo properties are underway.

Discovery of 4-oxo-6-((pyrimidin-2-ylthio)methyl)-4H-pyran-3-yl 4-nitrobenzoate (ML221) as a functional antagonist of the apelin (APJ) receptor.

The recently discovered apelin/APJ system has emerged as a critical mediator of cardiovascular homeostasis and is associated with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. A role for apelin/APJ in energy metabolism and gastrointestinal function has also recently emerged. We disclose the discovery and characterization of 4-oxo-6-((pyrimidin-2-ylthio)methyl)-4H-pyran-3-yl 4-nitrobenzoate (ML221), a potent APJ functional antagonist in cell-based assays that is >37-fold selective over the closely related angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor. ML221 was derived from an HTS of the ~330,600 compound MLSMR collection. This antagonist showed no significant binding activity against 29 other GPCRs, except to the κ-opioid and benzodiazepinone receptors (<50/<70%I at 10 µM). The synthetic methodology, development of structure-activity relationship (SAR), and initial in vitro pharmacologic characterization are also presented.

Potent, selective, and orally available benzoisothiazolone phosphomannose isomerase inhibitors as probes for congenital disorder of glycosylation Ia.

We report the discovery and validation of a series of benzoisothiazolones as potent inhibitors of phosphomannose isomerase (PMI), an enzyme that converts mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) into fructose-6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) and, more importantly, competes with phosphomannomutase 2 (PMM2) for Man-6-P, diverting this substrate from critical protein glycosylation events. In congenital disorder of glycosylation type Ia, PMM2 activity is compromised; thus, PMI inhibition is a potential strategy for the development of therapeutics. High-throughput screening (HTS) and subsequent chemical optimization led to the identification of a novel class of benzoisothiazolones as potent PMI inhibitors having little or no PMM2 inhibition. Two complementary synthetic routes were developed, enabling the critical structural requirements for activity to be determined, and the compounds were subsequently profiled in biochemical and cellular assays to assess efficacy. The most promising compounds were also profiled for bioavailability parameters, including metabolic stability, plasma stability, and permeability. The pharmacokinetic profile of a representative of this series (compound 19; ML089) was also assessed, demonstrating the potential of this series for in vivo efficacy when dosed orally in disease models.