Preclinical assessment of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of GDC-0449 (2-chloro-N-(4-chloro-3-(pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)-4-(methylsulfonyl)benzamide), an orally bioavailable systemic Hedgehog signalling pathway inhibitor.

GDC-0449 (2-chloro-N-(4-chloro-3-(pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)-4-(methylsulfonyl)benzamide) is a potent, selective Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway inhibitor being developed for the treatment of various cancers. The in vivo clearance of GDC-0449 was estimated to be 23.0, 4.65, 0.338, and 19.3 ml min(-1) kg(-1) in mouse, rat, dog and monkeys, respectively. The volume of distribution ranged from 0.490 in rats to 1.68 l kg(-1) in mice. Oral bioavailability ranged from 13% in monkeys to 53% in dogs. Predicted human clearance using allometry was 0.096-0.649 ml min(-1) kg(-1) and the predicted volume of distribution was 0.766 l kg(-1). Protein binding was extensive with an unbound fraction less than or equal to 6%, and the blood-to-plasma partition ratio ranged from 0.6 to 0.8 in all species tested. GDC-0449 was metabolically stable in mouse, rat, dog and human hepatocytes and had a more rapid turnover in monkey hepatocytes. Proposed metabolites from exploratory metabolite identification in vitro (rat, dog and human liver microsomes) and in vivo (dog and rat urine) include three primary oxidative metabolites (M1-M3) and three sequential glucuronides (M4-M6). Oxidative metabolites identified in microsomes M1 and M3 were formed primarily by P4503A4/5 (M1) and P4502C9 (M3). GDC-0449 was not a potent inhibitor of P4501A2, P4502B6, P4502D6, and P4503A4/5 with IC50 estimates greater than 20 microM. K(i)'s estimated for P4502C8, P4502C9 and P4502C19 and were 6.0, 5.4 and 24 microM, respectively. An evaluation with Simcyp suggests that GDC-0449 has a low potential of inhibiting P4502C8 and P4502C9. Furthermore, GDC-0449 (15 microM) was not a potent P-glycoprotein/ABCB1 inhibitor in MDR1-MDCK cells. Overall, GDC-0449 has an attractive preclinical profile and is currently in Phase II clinical trials.

Stability of alkoxycarbonylamidine prodrugs.

PURPOSE: Alkoxycarbonylamidine prodrug modification was used to mask the positively-charged amidine moiety of an Arg-Gly-Asp peptidomimetic and enhance oral bioavailability. The aqueous stability of ethoxycarbonylamidine (ECA), ethanethiocarbonylamidine (ETCA) and phenoxycarbonylamidine (PCA) prodrugs was examined. METHODS: Degradation was followed by RP-HPLC and rate constants were determined from a degradation scheme defined by product analysis. RESULTS: ECA gave a pH of maximum stability at pH approximately 7 and was independent of pH below pH approximately 4. A novel degradation pathway of ECA, conversion to ethoxycarbonyl- aminocarbonyl, was observed below pH 7. The relative rates below pH 7 were ECA approximately ETCA < PCA, in the same order of decreasing pKa of the conjugate acid of the substituted amidino group. Base-catalyzed cleavage of ECA to yield the amidine derivative gave the relative rates ECA < ETCA < PCA, in agreement with the decreasing pKa of the leaving groups. CONCLUSIONS: The observed rate constants at all pHs were small enough that only 5-30% (depending on the substituent) undesirable degradation is predicted during transit time of the gut. The spontaneous post-absorptive conversion to the amidine drugs at neutral pH is predicted to be 6x greater for the PCA than the ECA prodrugs.

Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and tolerability of a potent, non-peptidic, GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist following multiple oral administrations of a prodrug form.

Ro 44-3888 is a potent and selective antagonist of GP IIb/IIIa. Following I.V. administration to rhesus monkeys, the (mean +/- SD.) clearance, volume of distribution and terminal half-life of Ro 44-3888 were 4.4 +/- 1.8 ml/min/kg, 0.8 +/- 0.4 l/kg and 2.5 +/- 0.8 h respectively. Oral administration of Ro 48-3657 (1 mg/kg), a doubly protected prodrug form, produced peak concentrations of Ro 44-3888 (152 +/- 51 ng/ml), 4.2 +/- 2.2 h after dosing. Terminal half-life and estimated bioavailability were 5.1 +/- 1.6 h and 33 +/- 6% respectively. No effect on blood pressure, heart rate or platelet counts were seen. Adenosine diphosohate (ADP) induced platelet aggregation (PA) and cutaneous bleeding times (CBT) were determined prior to and after the last of 8 daily oral administrations of Ro 48-3657 (0.25 or 0.5 mg/kg) to eight rhesus monkeys. Peak and trough plasma concentrations were proportional to dose and steady state was achieved after the second administration. Inhibition of PA and prolongation of CBT were concentration dependent. The ex vivo IC50 (82 nM) for ADP-mediated PA correlated with a value (58 nM) determined in vitro. The CBT response curve was displaced to the right of the PA curve. CBT was prolonged to > or = 25 min when levels of Ro 44-3888 exceeded 190 nM and PA was > 90% inhibited. Therefore, in rhesus monkeys, Ro 48-3657 is reproducibly absorbed and converted to its active form, is well tolerated, and has a concentration-dependent effect on PA and CBT. These properties make Ro 48-3657 an attractive candidate for evaluation in patients at high risk for arterial thrombosis.

Preparation and biological activity of novel tricyclic GPIIb/IIIa antagonists.

Antagonists of the glycoprotein GPIIb/IIIa are a promising class of antithrombotic agents offering potential advantages over present antiplatelet agents (i.e., aspirin and ticlopidine). Novel tricyclic nonpeptidal GPIIb/IIIa antagonists have been prepared and evaluated in vitro as antagonists of fibrinogen binding to the purified GPIIb/IIIa receptor and as inhibitors of platelet aggregation. The work presented demonstrates the robustness of the benzodiazepinedione (BZDD) scaffold, which can be functionalized at the N1-C2 amide as well as at C7, to provide structural diversity and allow optimization of the physiochemical and pharmacological properties of the BZDD based GPIIb/IIIa antagonists. In addition, the resulting new class of tricyclic GPIIb/IIIa antagonists could be used to probe for additional binding interactions on the GPIIb/IIIa receptor and perhaps lead to BZDD based GPIIb/IIIa antagonists with increased potency. The tricyclic molecules reported herein demonstrate that a heterocyclic ring can be fused to the benzodiazepinedione scaffold with retention of anti-aggregatory potency and in the case of tetrazole 30i, increased potency relative to the bicyclic analogue 1c.

From peptide to non-peptide. 3. Atropisomeric GPIIbIIIa antagonists containing the 3,4-dihydro-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione nucleus.

The benzodiazepinedione class of non-peptidal GPIIbIIIa antagonists has been modified to allow the isolation of noninterconverting rotational isomers, or atropisomers, with the aim of examining their structure-activity relationships as compared to active RGD-containing peptides and other non-peptidal antagonists. Resolution of these antagonists was accomplished by the introduction of a tert-butyl group at N1 and a chlorine at C9 on the 3,4-dihydro-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione nucleus and enantiospecific substitution on the beta-alanine side chain attached to N4. The relative configuration was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Further, conformational analyses using ab initio calculations were performed to assess the conformational preferences about the beta-alanine side chain. The data support a good topographical correlation between the benzodiazepinedione class of antagonists and the "cupped" presentation of the RGD tripeptide sequence found in the cyclic peptide G4120. The relationship between these compounds with other peptidal and non-peptidal antagonists is discussed.