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Fer M, Amalric C, Arban R, Baron L, Ben Hamida S, Breh-Schlanser P, Cui Y, Darcq E, Eickmeier C, Faye V, Franchet C, Frauli M, Halter C, Heyer M, Hoenke C, Hoerer S, Hucke OT, Joseph C, Kieffer BL, Lebrun L, Lotz N, Mayer S, Omrani A, Recolet M, Schaeffer L, Schann S, Schlecker A, Steinberg E, Viloria M, Würstle K, Young K, Zinser A, Montel F, Klepp J. Discovery of BI-9508, a Brain-Penetrant GPR88-Receptor-Agonist Tool Compound for In Vivo Mouse Studies. J Med Chem 2024; 67:11296-11325. [PMID: 38949964 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Decreased activity and expression of the G-protein coupled receptor GPR88 is linked to many behavior-linked neurological disorders. Published preclinical GPR88 allosteric agonists all have in vivo pharmacokinetic properties that preclude their progression to the clinic, including high lipophilicity and poor brain penetration. Here, we describe our attempts to improve GPR88 agonists' drug-like properties and our analysis of the trade-offs required to successfully target GPR88's allosteric pocket. We discovered two new GPR88 agonists: One that reduced morphine-induced locomotor activity in a murine proof-of-concept study, and the atropoisomeric BI-9508, which is a brain penetrant and has improved pharmacokinetic properties and dosing that recommend it for future in vivo studies in rodents. BI-9508 still suffers from high lipophilicity, and research on this series was halted. Because of its utility as a tool compound, we now offer researchers access to BI-9508 and a negative control free of charge via Boehringer Ingelheim's open innovation portal opnMe.com.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roberto Arban
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Luc Baron
- Domain Therapeutics, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Sami Ben Hamida
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- INSERM UMR 1247- Research Group on Alcohol & Pharmacodependences (GRAP), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80000 Amiens, France
| | | | - Yunhai Cui
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- INSERM UMR-S1329, Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | - Christian Eickmeier
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Christoph Hoenke
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Stefan Hoerer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Oliver T Hucke
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | | | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
- INSERM UMR-S1329, Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | | | | | | | - Azar Omrani
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Annette Schlecker
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | | | | | - Klaus Würstle
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Kyle Young
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Alexander Zinser
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Florian Montel
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Julian Klepp
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riß, Germany
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Dichiara M, Cosentino G, Giordano G, Pasquinucci L, Marrazzo A, Costanzo G, Amata E. Designing drugs optimized for both blood-brain barrier permeation and intra-cerebral partition. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:317-329. [PMID: 38145409 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2294118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With the increasing incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders globally, there is a paramount need for new pharmacotherapies. BBB effectively protects the brain but raises a profound challenge to drug permeation, with less than 2% of most drugs reaching the CNS. AREAS COVERED This article reviews aspects of the most recent design strategies, providing insights into ideas and concepts in CNS drug discovery. An overview of the products available on the market is given and why clinical trials are continuously failing is discussed. EXPERT OPINION Among the available CNS drugs, small molecules account for most successful CNS therapeutics due to their ability to penetrate the BBB through passive or carrier-mediated mechanisms. The development of new CNS drugs is very difficult. To date, there is a lack of effective drugs for alleviating or even reversing the progression of brain diseases. Particularly, the use of artificial intelligence strategies, together with more appropriate animal models, may enable the design of molecules with appropriate permeation, to elicit a biological response from the neurotherapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dichiara
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cosentino
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giorgia Giordano
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Lorella Pasquinucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuliana Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuele Amata
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
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Rahman MT, Guan D, Chaminda Lakmal HH, Decker AM, Imler GH, Kerr AT, Harris DL, Jin C. Design, Synthesis, and Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Novel GPR88 Agonists (4-Substituted-phenyl)acetamides Based on the Reversed Amide Scaffold. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:169-192. [PMID: 38086012 PMCID: PMC10843732 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of synthetic agonists for the orphan receptor GPR88 has recently attracted significant interest, given the promise of GPR88 as a novel drug target for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Examination of structure-activity relationships of two known agonist scaffolds 2-PCCA and 2-AMPP, as well as the recently resolved cryo-EM structure of 2-PCCA-bound GPR88, led to the design of a new scaffold based on the "reversed amide" strategy of 2-AMPP. A series of novel (4-substituted-phenyl)acetamides were synthesized and assessed in cAMP accumulation assays as GPR88 agonists, which led to the discovery of several compounds with better or comparable potencies to 2-AMPP. Computational docking studies suggest that these novel GPR88 agonists bind to the same allosteric site of GPR88 that 2-PCCA occupies. Collectively, our findings provide structural insight and SAR requirement at the allosteric site of GPR88 and a new scaffold for further development of GPR88 allosteric agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Toufiqur Rahman
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Dongliang Guan
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Hetti Handi Chaminda Lakmal
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Ann M Decker
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Gregory H Imler
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6920, Washington, District of Columbia 20375, United States
| | - Andrew T Kerr
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6920, Washington, District of Columbia 20375, United States
| | - Danni L Harris
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Chunyang Jin
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
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Gao S, Song L, Sylvester K, Mercorelli B, Loregian A, Toth K, Weiße RH, Useini A, Sträter N, Yang M, Ye B, Tollefson AE, Müller CE, Liu X, Zhan P. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Trisubstituted Piperazine Derivatives as Noncovalent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Main Protease Inhibitors with Improved Antiviral Activity and Favorable Druggability. J Med Chem 2023; 66:16426-16440. [PMID: 37992202 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 necessitates the development of additional potent antiviral agents capable of combating the current highly infectious variants and future coronaviruses. Here, we present the discovery of potent nonpeptide main protease (Mpro) inhibitors with prominent antiviral activity and improved pharmacokinetic properties. Three series of 1,2,4-trisubstituted piperazine derivatives were designed and synthesized, and the optimal GC-78-HCl demonstrated high enzyme-inhibitory potency (IC50 = 0.19 μM) and exhibited excellent antiviral activity (EC50 = 0.40 μM), reaching the same level as Nirmatrelvir (EC50 = 0.38 μM). Additionally, GC-78-HCl displayed potent antiviral activities against various SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E, indicating its potential broad-spectrum anticoronaviral activity. Notably, the pharmacokinetic properties of GC-78-HCl were somewhat enhanced compared to those of the lead compound. Furthermore, the cocrystal and molecular docking elucidated the mechanism of action. In conclusion, we discovered a novel nonpeptidic Mpro inhibitor with promising antiviral activity and a favorable pharmacokinetic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghua Gao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, A301 Virtual University Park in South District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, PR China
| | - Letian Song
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China
| | - Katharina Sylvester
- PharmaCenter Bonn & Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Beatrice Mercorelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via Gabelli 63, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Arianna Loregian
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via Gabelli 63, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Karoly Toth
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, United States
| | - Renato H Weiße
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Abibe Useini
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Norbert Sträter
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Mianling Yang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China
| | - Bing Ye
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China
| | - Ann E Tollefson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, United States
| | - Christa E Müller
- PharmaCenter Bonn & Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China
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