The discovery of quinoline based single-ligand human H1 and H3 receptor antagonists.

A novel series of potent quinoline-based human H1 and H3 bivalent histamine receptor antagonists, suitable for intranasal administration for the potential treatment of allergic rhinitis associated nasal congestion, were identified. Compound 18b had slightly lower H1 potency (pA2 8.8 vs 9.7 for the clinical goldstandard azelastine), and H3 potency (pKi 9.1vs 6.8 for azelastine), better selectivity over α1A, α1B and hERG, similar duration of action, making 18b a good back-up compound to our previous candidate, but with a more desirable profile.

4-acyl-1-(4-aminoalkoxyphenyl)-2-ketopiperazines as a novel class of non-brain-penetrant histamine H3 receptor antagonists.

A series of ketopiperazines were prepared and evaluated for their activity as histamine H 3 antagonists. From investigation of the tertiary basic center in the aminopropyloxyphenyl template, the 2( R)-methylpyrrolidine was identified as the most potent amine. In the more rigid piperidineoxyphenyl template the N-cyclobutyl group was the most potent amine. The 4-fluorobenzyol, 4-cyanobenzoyl, and 2,4-difluorobenzoyl groups provided good pharmacokinetic profiles for the various amides. The PSA and log D values of these compounds suggested low brain penetration. The compounds had very high selectivity over other receptors and did not inhibit hepatic cytochrome P450, indicating low drug-drug interaction potential. Compound 22i was identified as the best compound of this series based on its overall profile of high potency, selectivity, low brain penetration, lack of CYP450 inhibition, high oral bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic properties.

Synthesis of the ester side chains of some potently antileukemic harringtonia alkaloids from chiral citrates.

The selective reduction of one of the three carboxyl groups of two chiral citric acid derivatives to the corresponding aldehydes, under Rosenmund conditions, are reported together with the application of these aldehydes to the syntheses of the ester side chains of some potently antileukemic Cephalotaxus alkaloids e.g. anhydroharringtonine.

A catalytic asymmetric bioorganic route to enantioenriched tetrahydro- and dihydropyranones.

A conceptually novel approach to hetero Diels-Alder adducts of carbonyl compounds is described using as the key steps an antibody-mediated kinetic resolution of hydroxyenones followed by a ring-closure process. Various beta-hydroxyenones proved to be very good substrates for antibodies 84G3- and 93F3-catalyzed retro-aldol reactions, allowing the preparation of highly enantiomerically enriched (up to 99% ee) precursors of pyranones. An attractive feature of this methodology is the possibility to convert these acyclic-enantioenriched beta-hydroxyenones into tetrahydropyranones by a conventional Michael-type addition procedure or into the corresponding dihydropyranones using an alternative palladium-catalyzed oxidative ring closure. For the palladium-mediated cyclization, a biphasic system has been implemented that allows the direct preparation of enantiopure dihydropyranones from the corresponding racemic aldol precursors using a sequential antibody-resolution/palladium-cyclization strategy, without isolation of the intermediate enantioenriched hydroxyenones. This bioorganic route is best applied to the preparation of hetero Diels-Alder adducts otherwise derived from less nucleophilic dienes and unactivated dienophiles.