Rifamycin derivatives active against pathogenic rapidly-growing mycobacteria.

Infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM), and in particular the RGM species Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab), are very difficult to treat and reports on novel therapeutic options are scarce. A hallmark of all pathogenic RGM species is their resistance to the four first-line drugs used to treat infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis including rifampicin. This study demonstrates that modification of the rifampicin scaffold can restore rifampicin activity against the three most commonly isolated pathogenic RGM species including Mab. We also note that the structure-activity relationship for Mab is different as compared to the non-pathogenic RGM species Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Structure-based design and optimization of potent inhibitors of the adenoviral protease.

Adenoviral infections are associated with a wide range of acute diseases, among which ocular viral conjunctivitis (EKC) and disseminated disease in immunocompromised patients. To date, no approved specific anti-adenoviral drug is available, but there is a growing need for an effective treatment of such infections. The adenoviral protease, adenain, plays a crucial role for the viral lifecycle and thus represents an attractive therapeutic target. Structure-guided design with the objective to depeptidize tetrapeptide nitrile 1 led to the novel chemotype 2. Optimization of scaffold 2 resulted in picomolar adenain inhibitors 3a and 3b. In addition, a complementary series of irreversible vinyl sulfone containing inhibitors were rationally designed, prepared and evaluated against adenoviral protease. High resolution X-ray co-crystal structures of representatives of each series proves the successful design of these inhibitors and provides an excellent basis for future medicinal chemistry optimization of these compounds.

In vivo optimization of 2,3-diaminopyrazine Rho Kinase inhibitors for the treatment of glaucoma.

A series of 2,3,6-pyrazine Rho Kinase inhibitors were optimized for in vivo activity for topical ocular dosing. Modifications of the 2-(piperazin-1-yl)pyrazine derivatives produced compounds with improved solubility and physicochemical properties. Modifications of the 6-pyrazine substituent led to improvements in in vitro potency. Compound 9 had the best in vitro and in vivo potency of EC50=260 nM with a 30% reduction of IOP in a non-human primate model at a dose of 0.33%.

Discovery and early clinical evaluation of BMS-605339, a potent and orally efficacious tripeptidic acylsulfonamide NS3 protease inhibitor for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection.

The discovery of BMS-605339 (35), a tripeptidic inhibitor of the NS3/4A enzyme, is described. This compound incorporates a cyclopropylacylsulfonamide moiety that was designed to improve the potency of carboxylic acid prototypes through the introduction of favorable nonbonding interactions within the S1' site of the protease. The identification of 35 was enabled through the optimization and balance of critical properties including potency and pharmacokinetics (PK). This was achieved through modulation of the P2* subsite of the inhibitor which identified the isoquinoline ring system as a key template for improving PK properties with further optimization achieved through functionalization. A methoxy moiety at the C6 position of this isoquinoline ring system proved to be optimal with respect to potency and PK, thus providing the clinical compound 35 which demonstrated antiviral activity in HCV-infected patients.

Respiratory syncytial virus fusion inhibitors. Part 7: structure-activity relationships associated with a series of isatin oximes that demonstrate antiviral activity in vivo.

A series of bezimidazole-isatin oximes were prepared and profiled as inhibitors of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) replication in cell culture. Structure-activity relationship studies were directed toward optimization of antiviral activity, cell permeability and metabolic stability in human liver micorosomes (HLM). Parallel combinatorial synthetic chemistry was employed to functionalize isatin oximes via O-alkylation which quickly identified a subset of small, lipophilic substituents that established good potency for the series. Further optimization of the isatin oxime derivatives focused on introduction of nitrogen atoms to the isatin phenyl ring to provide a series of aza-isatin oximes with significantly improved PK properties. Several aza-isatin oximes analogs displayed targeted metabolic stability in HLM and permeability across a confluent monolayer of CaCo-2 cells. These studies identified several compounds, including 18i, 18j and 18n that demonstrated antiviral activity in the BALB/c mouse model of RSV infection following oral dosing.

Respiratory syncytial virus fusion inhibitors. Part 6: an examination of the effect of structural variation of the benzimidazol-2-one heterocycle moiety.

The effect of structural variation of the benzimidazol-2-one ring of RSV fusion inhibitors related to BMS-433771 (1) was examined in conjunction with side chain modifications and the introduction of an aminomethyl substituent at the 5-position of the core benzimidazole moiety. Replacement of the benzimidazol-2-one moiety with benzoxazole, oxindole, quinoline-2-one, quinazolin-2,4-dione and benzothiazine derivatives provided a series of potent RSV fusion inhibitors 4. However, the intrinsic potency of 6,6-fused ring systems was generally less than that of comparably substituted 5,6-fused heterocycles of the type found in BMS-433771 (1). The introduction of an aminomethyl substituent to the benzimidazole ring enhanced antiviral activity in the 6,6-fused ring systems.

Respiratory syncytial virus fusion inhibitors. Part 5: Optimization of benzimidazole substitution patterns towards derivatives with improved activity.

Extensive SAR studies and optimization of ADME properties of benzimidazol-2-one derivatives led to the identification of BMS-433771 (3) as an orally active RSV fusion inhibitor. In order to extend the structure-activity relationships for this compound series, substitution of the benzimidazole ring was examined with a view to establishing additional productive interactions between the inhibitor and functionality present in the proposed binding pocket. Amongst the compounds synthesized, the 5-aminomethyl analogue 10aa demonstrated potent antiviral activity towards wild-type RSV and retained excellent inhibitory activity towards a virus that had been developed to express resistance to BMS-433771 (3), data consistent with an additional productive interaction between the inhibitor and the fusion protein target.

Synthesis and antibacterial evaluation of a novel series of rifabutin-like spirorifamycins.

A novel series of spirorifamycins was synthesized and their antibacterial activity evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. This new series of rifamycins shows excellent activity against Staphylococcus aureus that is equivalent to rifabutin. However, some compounds of the series exhibit lower MICs than rifabutin against rifampin-resistant strains of S. aureus. Further, compound 2e exhibits comparable efficacy in vivo in a murine model of S. aureus septicemia model following administration by either oral or parenteral dosing routes.

Respiratory syncytial virus fusion inhibitors. Part 4: optimization for oral bioavailability.

A series of benzimidazole-based inhibitors of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion were optimized for antiviral potency, membrane permeability and metabolic stability in human liver microsomes. 1-Cyclopropyl-1,3-dihydro-3-[[1-(4-hydroxybutyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]methyl]-2H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridin-2-one (6m, BMS-433771) was identified as a potent RSV inhibitor demonstrating good bioavailability in the mouse, rat, dog and cynomolgus monkey that demonstrated antiviral activity in the BALB/c and cotton rat models of infection following oral administration.

New C25 carbamate rifamycin derivatives are resistant to inactivation by ADP-ribosyl transferases.

A novel series of 3-morpholino rifamycins in which the C25 acetate group was replaced by a carbamate group were prepared and found to exhibit significantly improved antimicrobial activity than rifampin against Mycobacterium smegmatis. Further characterization of such compounds suggests that relatively large groups attached to the rifamycin core via a C25 carbamate linkage prevent inactivation via ribosylation of the C23 alcohol as catalyzed by the endogenous rifampin ADP-ribosyl transferase of M. smegmatis. SAR studies of the C25 carbamate rifamycin series against M. smegmatis and other bacteria are reported.

Respiratory syncytial virus fusion inhibitors. Part 3: Water-soluble benzimidazol-2-one derivatives with antiviral activity in vivo.

The introduction of acidic and basic functionality into the side chains of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion inhibitors was examined in an effort to identify compounds suitable for evaluation in vivo in the cotton rat model of RSV infection following administration as a small particle aerosol. The acidic compounds 2r, 2u, 2v, 2w, 2z, and 2aj demonstrated potent antiviral activity in cell culture and exhibited efficacy in the cotton rat comparable to ribavirin. In a BALB/c mouse model, the oxadiazolone 2aj reduced virus titers following subcutaneous dosing, whilst the ester 2az and amide 2aab exhibited efficacy following oral administration. These results established the potential of this class of RSV fusion inhibitors to interfere with infection in vivo following topical or systemic administration.

Respiratory syncytial virus inhibitors. Part 2: Benzimidazol-2-one derivatives.

Structure-activity relationships for a series of benzimidazol-2-one-based inhibitors of respiratory syncytial virus are described. These studies focused on structural variation of the benzimidazol-2-one substituent, a vector inaccessible in a series of benzotriazole derivatives on which 2 is based, and revealed a broad tolerance for substituent size and functionality.