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Hamdy J, Emadeldin N, Hamed MM, Frakolaki E, Katsamakas S, Vassilaki N, Zoidis G, Hirsch AKH, Abdel-Halim M, Abadi AH. Design and Synthesis of Novel Bis-Imidazolyl Phenyl Butadiyne Derivatives as HCV NS5A Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:632. [PMID: 35631457 PMCID: PMC9146377 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In today’s global plan to completely eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV), the essential list of medications used for HCV treatment are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), as interferon-sparing regimens have become the standard-of-care (SOC) treatment. HCV nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitors are a very common component of these regimens. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved NS5A inhibitors, although very potent, do not have the same potency against all eight genotypes of HCV. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize NS5A inhibitor analogues with high potency pan-genotypic activity and high metabolic stability. Starting from an NS5A inhibitor scaffold previously identified by our research group, we made several modifications. Two series of compounds were created to test the effect of changing the length and spatial conformation (para-para vs. meta-meta-positioned bis-imidazole-proline-carbamate), replacing amide groups in the linker with imidazole groups, as well as different end-cap compositions and sizes. The frontrunner inhibits genotype 1b (Con1) replicon, with an EC50 value in the picomolar range, and showed high genotypic coverage with nanomolar range EC50 values against four more genotypes. This together with its high metabolic stability (t½ > 120 min) makes it a potential preclinical candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehad Hamdy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Nouran Emadeldin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Mostafa M. Hamed
- Drug Design and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)—Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (M.M.H.); (A.K.H.H.)
| | - Efseveia Frakolaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Sotirios Katsamakas
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Niki Vassilaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Anna K. H. Hirsch
- Drug Design and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)—Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (M.M.H.); (A.K.H.H.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Mohammad Abdel-Halim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Ashraf H. Abadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
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