Discovery of ZN-c3, a Highly Potent and Selective Wee1 Inhibitor Undergoing Evaluation in Clinical Trials for the Treatment of Cancer.

Wee1 inhibition has received great attention in the past decade as a promising therapy for cancer treatment. Therefore, a potent and selective Wee1 inhibitor is highly desirable. Our efforts to make safer and more efficacious Wee1 inhibitors led to the discovery of compound 16, a highly selective Wee1 inhibitor with balanced potency, ADME, and pharmacokinetic properties. The chiral ethyl moiety of compound 16 provided an unexpected improvement of Wee1 potency. Compound 16, known as ZN-c3, showed excellent in vivo efficacy and is currently being evaluated in phase 2 clinical trials.

Discovery of the Selective Protein Kinase C-θ Kinase Inhibitor, CC-90005.

The PKC-θ isoform of protein kinase C is selectively expressed in T lymphocytes and plays an important role in the T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-triggered activation of mature T cells, T cell proliferation, and the subsequent release of cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL-2). Herein, we report the synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of a novel series of PKC-θ inhibitors. Through a combination of structure-guided design and exploratory SAR, suitable replacements for the basic C4 amine of the original lead (3) were identified. Property-guided design enabled the identification of appropriately substituted C2 groups to afford potent analogs with metabolic stability and permeability to support in vivo testing. With exquisite general kinase selectivity, cellular inhibition of T cell activation as assessed by IL-2 expression, a favorable safety profile, and demonstrated in vivo efficacy in models of acute and chronic T cell activation with oral dosing, CC-90005 (57) was selected for clinical development.

Formation of A Novel Purine Metabolite through CYP3A4 Bioactivation and Glutathione Conjugation.

BACKGROUND: The study of novel sites of metabolism is important in understanding new mechanisms of biotransformation of a particular moiety by metabolic enzymes. This information is valuable in designing metabolically-stable compounds with drug-like properties. It may also provide insights into the existence of active and reactive metabolites. METHODS: We utilized small scale incubations to generate adequate amounts of the metabolite of interest. After purification, LC-MS/MS and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) were utilized to unequivocally assign the novel site of glutathione conjugation on the purine ring system. RESULTS: A proposed novel site of glutathione conjugation was investigated on a diaminopurine-containing molecule. It was demonstrated that the formation of the glutathione conjugate at the C-6 position of the purine ring system was due to the bioactivation of the compound to a di-imine intermediate by CYP3A4, followed by the nucleophilic addition of glutathione. CONCLUSION: S-glutathionylation at C-6 position of a purine was proven unequivocally. This previously unreported mechanism constitutes a novel biotransformation for purines.

Discovery of CC-930, an orally active anti-fibrotic JNK inhibitor.

In this Letter we describe the discovery of potent, selective, and orally active aminopurine JNK inhibitors. Improving the physico-chemical properties as well as increasing the potency and selectivity of a subseries with rat plasma exposure, led to the identification of four structurally diverse inhibitors. Differentiation based on PK profiles in multiple species as well as activity in a chronic efficacy model led to the identification of 1 (CC-930) as a development candidate, which is currently in Phase II clinical trial for IPF.

Application of 1D and 2D 1H-NMR in the structural elucidation of a N-glucuronidated metabolite and oxidized metabolites generated in microsomal incubation.

Metabolite identification can provide tremendous value in identifying metabolic soft-spots on molecules of interest and to evaluate the potential for generating reactive species. This information is useful in designing stable analogs with acceptable drug-like properties. Two key compounds were found to generate major metabolites that could not be elucidated by mass spectrometry. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a non-destructive method to obtain structural information. It requires milligram quantities of putative metabolites, typically unavailable in early stage discovery projects. Herein, we demonstrated the application of NMR using microgram quantities of samples to identify the structures of the major metabolites of two discovery compounds. In the first case, we studied structural elucidation of a Nglucuronide on a pyrazole moiety using 1H-NMR due to the instability of the glucuronidated metabolite under mass spectrometric conditions. In the second example, we characterized two oxidized metabolites having identical mass fragmentation using 2D-NMR. In both cases, chemists incorporated these findings into designing analogs to improve metabolic stability.

Microtubule-stabilizing agents based on designed laulimalide analogues.

Laulimalide is a potent, structurally unique microtubule-stabilizing agent originally isolated from the marine sponge Cacospongia mycofijiensis. Laulimalide exhibits an activity profile different from other microtubule-binding agents, notably including effectiveness against paclitaxel-resistant cells, but it is intrinsically unstable. Five analogues of laulimalide were designed to exhibit enhanced chemical stability yet retain its exceptional biological activities. Evaluations of these analogues showed that all are effective inhibitors of cancer-cell proliferation yet differ substantially in potency with an IC(50) range of 0.12-16.5 microM. Although all of the analogues initiated cellular changes similar to laulimalide, including increased density of interphase microtubules, aberrant mitotic spindles, and ultimately apoptosis, differences among the analogues were apparent. The two most potent analogues, C(16)-C(17)-des-epoxy laulimalide and C(20)-methoxy laulimalide, appear to have a mechanism of action identical to laulimalide. The C(16)-C(17)-des-epoxy, C(20)-methoxy laulimalide derivative, which incorporates both chemical changes of the most potent analogues, was significantly less potent and initiated the formation of unique interphase microtubules unlike the parent compound and other analogues. Two C(2)-C(3)-alkynoate derivatives had lower potency, and they initiated abnormal microtubule structures but did not cause micronucleation or extensive G(2)/M accumulation. Significantly, paclitaxel- and epothilone-resistant cell lines were less resistant to the laulimalide analogues. In summary, analogues of laulimalide designed to minimize or eliminate its intrinsic instability have been synthesized, and some have been found to retain the unique biological activities of laulimalide.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of (-)-laulimalide analogues.

[reaction: see text] The syntheses of five laulimalide analogues are described, incorporating modifications at the C(16)-C(17)-epoxide, the C(20)-alcohol, as well as the C(1)-C(3)-enoate of the parent natural product. The resultant analogues are active in drug-sensitive HeLa and MDA-MB-435 cell lines. Significantly, like laulimalide, these analogues are poor substrates for the drug transport protein P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and are thus effective against Taxol-resistant cell lines.

Total synthesis of (-)-laulimalide.

(-)-Laulimalide (1), a structurally novel macrolide isolated in trace amounts from marine sponges, promotes abnormal tubulin polymerization and apoptosis in vitro, with a similar mode of action to that of Taxol(R), but with potentially less susceptibility to multidrug resistance. Herein, a flexible and convergent asymmetric synthesis of (-)-laulimalide is described. This synthesis featured a highly diastereoselective Sakurai reaction of 2 with 3 and a regioselective macrolactonization of an unprotected vicinal diol. Laulimalide was synthesized in 25 steps (longest linear; 36 overall) in 3.5% overall yield, providing a uniquely short and efficient route to 1 and its analogues.