Discovery of TRPM8 Antagonist ( S)-6-(((3-Fluoro-4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)(3-fluoropyridin-2-yl)methyl)carbamoyl)nicotinic Acid (AMG 333), a Clinical Candidate for the Treatment of Migraine.

Transient-receptor-potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8), the predominant mammalian cold-temperature thermosensor, is a nonselective cation channel expressed in a subpopulation of sensory neurons in the peripheral nervous system, including nerve circuitry implicated in migraine pathogenesis: the trigeminal and pterygopalatine ganglia. Genomewide association studies have identified an association between TRPM8 and reduced risk of migraine. This disclosure focuses on medicinal-chemistry efforts to improve the druglike properties of initial leads, particularly removal of CYP3A4-induction liability and improvement of pharmacokinetic properties. A novel series of biarylmethanamide TRPM8 antagonists was developed, and a subset of leads were evaluated in preclinical toxicology studies to identify a clinical candidate with an acceptable preclinical safety profile leading to clinical candidate AMG 333, a potent and highly selective antagonist of TRPM8 that was evaluated in human clinical trials.

Extracellular Antibody Drug Conjugates Exploiting the Proximity of Two Proteins.

The human Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) is a plasma membrane ion pump that uses ATP to help maintain the resting potential of all human cells. Inhibition of the NKA leads to cell swelling and death. The results of this investigation show that on cancer cells, the NKA either comes in close proximity to, associate with or complexes to important cancer-related proteins, and thus can be targeted with a new type of precision therapy called the extracellular drug conjugate or EDC. The EDCs reported here exhibit EC50 values in the low to mid-picomolar range, and signal to noise ratios > 1,000:1, both of which are dependent on the cell surface expression of the NKA and corresponding cancer-related target. We demonstrate that a potent small molecule inhibitor of the NKA can be covalently attached to antibodies targeting CD20, CD38, CD56, CD147, or dysadherin, to create a series of selective and powerful EDCs that kill cancer cells extracellularly by a mechanism resembling necrosis. This is therefore a framework for the development of a new type of precision therapy wherein exquisite selectivity is achieved for targeting extracellular disease-related proteins.

An Orally Available BACE1 Inhibitor That Affords Robust CNS Aß Reduction without Cardiovascular Liabilities.

BACE1 inhibition to prevent Aß peptide formation is considered to be a potential route to a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Previous efforts in our laboratory using a combined structure- and property-based approach have resulted in the identification of aminooxazoline xanthenes as potent BACE1 inhibitors. Herein, we report further optimization leading to the discovery of inhibitor 15 as an orally available and highly efficacious BACE1 inhibitor that robustly reduces CSF and brain Aß levels in both rats and nonhuman primates. In addition, compound 15 exhibited low activity on the hERG ion channel and was well tolerated in an integrated cardiovascular safety model.

Design and preparation of a potent series of hydroxyethylamine containing ß-secretase inhibitors that demonstrate robust reduction of central ß-amyloid.

A series of potent hydroxyethyl amine (HEA) derived inhibitors of ß-site APP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) was optimized to address suboptimal pharmacokinetics and poor CNS partitioning. This work identified a series of benzodioxolane analogues that possessed improved metabolic stability and increased oral bioavailability. Subsequent efforts focused on improving CNS exposure by limiting susceptibility to Pgp-mediated efflux and identified an inhibitor which demonstrated robust and sustained reduction of CNS ß-amyloid (Aß) in Sprague-Dawley rats following oral administration.

Design and synthesis of potent, orally efficacious hydroxyethylamine derived ß-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE1) inhibitors.

We have previously shown that hydroxyethylamines can be potent inhibitors of the BACE1 enzyme and that the generation of BACE1 inhibitors with CYP 3A4 inhibitory activities in this scaffold affords compounds (e.g., 1) with sufficient bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profiles to reduce central amyloid-ß peptide (Aß) levels in wild-type rats following oral dosing. In this article, we describe further modifications of the P1-phenyl ring of the hydroxyethylamine series to afford potent, dual BACE1/CYP 3A4 inhibitors which demonstrate improved penetration into the CNS. Several of these compounds caused robust reduction of Aß levels in rat CSF and brain following oral dosing, and compound 37 exhibited an improved cardiovascular safety profile relative to 1.

A Potent and Orally Efficacious, Hydroxyethylamine-Based Inhibitor of ß-Secretase.

ß-Secretase inhibitors are potentially disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Previous efforts in our laboratory have resulted in hydroxyethylamine-derived inhibitors such as 1 with low nanomolar potency against ß-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE). When dosed intravenously, compound 1 was also shown to significantly reduce Aß40 levels in plasma, brain, and cerebral spinal fluid. Herein, we report further optimizations that led to the discovery of inhibitor 16 as a novel, potent, and orally efficacious BACE inhibitor.

Stereoselective synthesis of anti-N-protected 3-amino-1,2-epoxides by nucleophilic addition to N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine of a glyceraldehyde synthon.

A di-O-TBS protected glyceraldehyde synthon was condensed with Ellman's reagent to form a bench-stable N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine 6, which served as a common intermediate for the stereoselective introduction of various R groups. The Ellman adducts were converted to useful multifunctional intermediates 18a-i in one pot. The alcohols 18a-i were efficiently elaborated to both known and novel anti-N-protected-3-amino-1,2-epoxides in two steps. Compound 2a is a key intermediate toward HIV protease inhibitors.

Unified total synthesis of pteriatoxins and their diastereomers.

A unified total synthesis is reported to access all of the possible diastereomers of pteriatoxins A-C, with the use of an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction as the key step to form the carbo-macrocyclic core structure. The C34/C35-diol protecting groups were found to have significant effects on both the exo/endo-selectivity and the exo-facial selectivity of the intramolecular Diels-Alder process.

Total synthesis of the potent microtubule-stabilizing agent (+)-discodermolide.

The total synthesis of the potent microtubule-stabilizing, antimitotic agent (+)-discodermolide is described. The convergent synthetic strategy takes advantage of the diastereoselective alkylation of a ketone enolate to establish the key C15-C16 bond. The synthesis is amenable to preparation of gram-scale quantities of (+)-discodermolide and analogues.