ABSTRACT
Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors such as ibrutinib hold a prominent role in the treatment of B cell malignancies. However, further refinement is needed to this class of agents, particularly in terms of adverse events (potentially driven by kinase promiscuity), which preclude their evaluation in nononcology indications. Here, we report the discovery and preclinical characterization of evobrutinib, a potent, obligate covalent inhibitor with high kinase selectivity. Evobrutinib displayed sufficient preclinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics which allowed for in vivo evaluation in efficacy models. Moreover, the high selectivity of evobrutinib for BTK over epidermal growth factor receptor and other Tec family kinases suggested a low potential for off-target related adverse effects. Clinical investigation of evobrutinib is ongoing in several autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Subject(s)
Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase/antagonists & inhibitors , Drug Discovery , Immune System Diseases/drug therapy , Piperidines/pharmacology , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Pyrimidines/pharmacology , Administration, Oral , Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase/metabolism , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Humans , Immune System Diseases/metabolism , Molecular Structure , Piperidines/administration & dosage , Piperidines/chemistry , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/chemistry , Pyrimidines/administration & dosage , Pyrimidines/chemistry , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a member of the Tec kinase family that is expressed in cells of hematopoietic lineage (e.g. B cells, macrophages, monocytes, and mast cells). Small molecule covalent irreversible Btk inhibitors targeting Cys481 within the ATP-binding pocket have been applied in the treatment of B-cell malignancies. Starting from a fragment, we discovered a novel series of potent covalent irreversible Btk inhibitors that bear N-linked groups occupying the solvent accessible pocket (SAP) of the active site of the Btk kinase domain. The hit molecules, however, displayed high P-gp mediated efflux ratio (ER) and poor A-B permeability in Caco-2 assay. By decreasing tPSA, installing steric hindrance and adjusting clogP, one top molecule 9 was discovered, which showed a 99% decrease in efflux ratio and a 90-fold increase in A-B permeability compared to hit molecule 1.
Subject(s)
Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase/antagonists & inhibitors , Niacinamide/pharmacology , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Adenine/analogs & derivatives , Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase/chemistry , Animals , Caco-2 Cells , Catalytic Domain , Humans , Mice , Molecular Structure , Niacinamide/analogs & derivatives , Niacinamide/chemical synthesis , Niacinamide/pharmacokinetics , Permeability , Piperidines , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics , Pyrazoles/pharmacology , Pyrimidines/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) is a member of the TEC kinase family that is expressed in cells of hematopoietic lineage (e.g., in B cells, macrophages, monocytes, and mast cells). Small molecule covalent irreversible BTK inhibitor targeting Cys481 within the ATP-binding pocket, for example ibrutinib, has been applied in the treatment of B-cell malignancies. Starting from a fragment hit, we discovered a novel series of potent covalent irreversible BTK inhibitors that occupy selectivity pocket of the active site of the BTK kinase domain. Guided by X-ray structures and a fragment-based drug design (FBDD) approach, we generated molecules showing comparable cellular potency to ibrutinib and higher kinome selectivity against undesirable off-targets like EGFR.
Subject(s)
Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase/antagonists & inhibitors , Drug Discovery , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase/metabolism , Crystallography, X-Ray , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Humans , Models, Molecular , Molecular Structure , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/chemistry , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
GPR119 is a 7-transmembrane receptor that is expressed in the enteroendocrine cells in the intestine and in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Indolines and 6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrrolo[2,3-a]pyrimidines were discovered as G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) agonists, and lead optimization efforts led to the identification of 1-methylethyl 4-({7-[2-fluoro-4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-yl}oxy)-1-piperidinecarboxylate (GSK1104252A) (3), a potent and selective GPR119 agonist. Compound 3 showed excellent pharmacokinetic properties and sufficient selectivity with in vivo studies supporting a role for GPR119 in glucose homeostasis in the rodent. Thus, 3 appeared to modulate the enteroinsular axis, improve glycemic control, and strengthen previous suggestions that GPR119 agonists may have utility in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Subject(s)
Hypoglycemic Agents/chemical synthesis , Piperidines/chemical synthesis , Pyrimidines/chemical synthesis , Pyrroles/chemical synthesis , Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/agonists , Administration, Oral , Animals , Cell Line , Colon/metabolism , Glucagon-Like Peptide 1/metabolism , Glucose/metabolism , Glucose Tolerance Test , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacokinetics , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Incretins/metabolism , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Knockout , Piperidines/pharmacokinetics , Piperidines/pharmacology , Pyrimidines/pharmacokinetics , Pyrimidines/pharmacology , Pyrroles/pharmacokinetics , Pyrroles/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Rats, Wistar , Stereoisomerism , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
Two series of conformationally constrained analogs of the FXR agonist GW 4064 1 were prepared. Replacement of the metabolically labile stilbene with either benzothiophene or naphthalene rings led to the identification of potent full agonists 2a and 2g.
Subject(s)
Isoxazoles/chemistry , Naphthalenes/chemistry , Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/agonists , Thiophenes/chemistry , Animals , Binding Sites , Computer Simulation , Crystallography, X-Ray , Humans , Isoxazoles/pharmacology , Naphthalenes/pharmacokinetics , Rats , Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/metabolism , Structure-Activity Relationship , Thiophenes/pharmacokineticsABSTRACT
Starting from the known FXR agonist GW 4064 1a, a series of alternately 3,5-substituted isoxazoles was prepared. Several of these analogs were potent full FXR agonists. A subset of this series, with a tether between the isoxazole ring and the 3-position aryl substituent, were equipotent FXR agonists to GW 4064 1a, with the 2,6-dimethyl phenol analog 1t having greater FRET FXR potency than GW 4064 1a.
Subject(s)
Isoxazoles/chemical synthesis , Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/agonists , Animals , Crystallography, X-Ray , Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer , Isoxazoles/chemistry , Isoxazoles/pharmacology , Rats , Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/metabolism , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
Starting from the known FXR agonist GW 4064 1a, a series of stilbene replacements were prepared. The 6-substituted 1-naphthoic acid 1b was an equipotent FXR agonist with improved developability parameters relative to 1a. Analog 1b also reduced the severity of cholestasis in the ANIT acute cholestatic rat model.
