Discovery of the Aryl-phospho-indole IDX899, a Highly Potent Anti-HIV Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor.

Here, we describe the design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and identification of a clinical candidate non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) with a novel aryl-phospho-indole (APhI) scaffold. NNRTIs are recommended components of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of HIV-1. Since a major problem associated with NNRTI treatment is the emergence of drug resistant virus, this work focused on optimization of the APhI against clinically relevant HIV-1 Y181C and K103N mutants and the Y181C/K103N double mutant. Optimization of the phosphinate aryl substituent led to the discovery of the 3-Me,5-acrylonitrile-phenyl analogue RP-13s (IDX899) having an EC50 of 11 nM against the Y181C/K103N double mutant.

Humanization of an anti-CCR4 antibody that kills cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cells and abrogates suppression by T-regulatory cells.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a heterogeneous group of neoplastic disorders characterized by clonally derived and skin-homing malignant T cells that express high level of chemokine receptor CCR4, which is associated with their skin-homing capacity. CCR4 is also highly expressed on T-regulatory cells (Tregs) that can migrate to several different types of chemotactic ligand CCL17- and CCL22-secreting tumors to facilitate tumor cell evasion from immune surveillance. Thus, its high-level expression on CTCL cells and Tregs makes CCR4 a potential ideal target for antibody-based immunotherapy for CTCL and other types of solid tumors. Here, we conducted humanization and affinity optimization of a murine anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody (mAb), mAb1567, that recognizes both the N-terminal and extracellular domains of CCR4 with high affinity and inhibits chemotaxis of CCR4(+) CTCL cells. In a mouse CTCL tumor model, mAb1567 exhibited a potent antitumor effect and in vitro mechanistic studies showed that both complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and neutrophil-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) likely mediated this effect. mAb1567 also exerts human NK cell-mediated ADCC activity in vitro. Moreover, mAb1567 also effectively inhibits chemotaxis of CD4(+)CD25(high) Tregs via CCL22 and abrogates Treg suppression activity in vitro. An affinity-optimized variant of humanized mAb1567, mAb2-3, was selected for further preclinical development based on its higher binding affinity and more potent ADCC and CDC activities. Taken together, this high-affinity humanized mAb2-3 with potent antitumor effect and a broad range of mechanisms of action may provide a novel immunotherapy for CTCL and other solid tumors.