Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of novel morpholinyl- and methylpiperazinylacyloxyalkyl prodrugs of 2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)propionic acid (Naproxen) for topical drug delivery

Photochemical and electrochemical regioselective cross-dehydrogenative C(sp2)–H sulfenylation and selenylation of substituted benzo[a]phenazin-5-ols

The essence of photo- and electrochemistry: sulfenylation and selenylation of substituted benzo[a]phenazin-5-ols through cross-dehydrogenative C(sp2)–H functionalization.

Transition Metal- and Oxidant-Free Base-Mediated Selenation of Bicyclic Arenes at Room Temperature

Bicyclic arenyl selenides are of much importance because of their pharmaceutical applications. A simple method for their synthesis has been developed by a reaction of 2-naphthol and styrenyl selenocyanate/diaryl diselenide in the presence of a base at room temperature. The selenation occurs exclusively at the 1-position of 2-naphthol unit. The reactions are relatively fast (2-4 h) and high yielding. A library of substituted naphthyl styrenyl and naphthyl aryl selenides are obtained by this procedure.

Potential of Piperazinylalkylester Prodrugs of 6-Methoxy-2-Naphthylacetic Acid (6-MNA) for Percutaneous Drug Delivery

Piperazinylalkyl ester prodrugs (4a-5d) of 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6-MNA) (1) were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for the purpose of percutaneous drug delivery. These ionizable prodrugs exhibited varying aqueous solubilities and lipophilicities depending on the pH of the medium. The prodrugs (4a-5c) showed higher aqueous solubility and similar lipophilicity at pH 5.0 and lower aqueous solubility and higher lipophilicity at pH 7.4 in comparison to 6-MNA. The chemical and enzymatic hydrolyses of the prodrugs was investigated in aqueous buffer solutions (pH 5.0 and 7.4) and in 80% human serum (pH 7.4) at 37°C. The prodrugs showed moderate chemical stability (t 1/2 = 6-60 h) but got readily hydrolyzed enzymatically to 6-MNA with half-life ranging from 10-60 min. In the in vitro permeation study using rat skin, the flux of 6-MNA and the prodrugs was determined in aqueous buffers of pH 5.0 and 7.4. The prodrug (5b) showed 7.9- and 11.2-fold enhancement in skin permeation compared to 6-MNA (1) at pH 5.0 and 7.4, respectively. It was concluded that the parent NSAIDs having favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties coupled with increased skin permeability of their prodrugs could give better options for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

Carrier Mediated Distribution System (CAMDIS): a new approach for the measurement of octanol/water distribution coefficients

Here we present a miniaturized assay, referred to as Carrier-Mediated Distribution System (CAMDIS) for fast and reliable measurement of octanol/water distribution coefficients, log D(oct). By introducing a filter support for octanol, phase separation from water is facilitated and the tendency of emulsion formation (emulsification) at the interface is reduced. A guideline for the best practice of CAMDIS is given, describing a strategy to manage drug adsorption at the filter-supported octanol/buffer interface. We validated the assay on a set of 52 structurally diverse drugs with known shake flask log D(oct) values. Excellent agreement with literature data (r(2) = 0.996, standard error of estimate, SEE = 0.111), high reproducibility (standard deviation, SD < 0.1 log D(oct) units), minimal sample consumption (10 μL of 100 μM DMSO stock solution) and a broad analytical range (log D(oct) range = -0.5 to 4.2) make CAMDIS a valuable tool for the high-throughput assessment of log D(oc)t.

Application of strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition and tetrazine ligation to targeted Fc-drug conjugates

We have previously described an approach whereby antibody Fc fragments harboring a single C-terminal selenocysteine residue (Fc-Sec) are directed against a variety of targets by changing the peptide or small molecule to which they are conjugated. In the present work, we describe methodology for improving the efficacy of these Fc-Sec conjugates by incorporating cytotoxic drugs. The Fc-Sec protein is first programmed to target specific tumor cell types by attachment of a bifunctional linker that contains a "clickable" handle (e.g., cyclobutane or cyclooctyne) in addition to a tumor cell-binding peptide or small molecule. Following Fc-Sec conjugation, a cytotoxic warhead is then attached by cycloaddition reactions of tetrazine or azide-containing linker. To validate this approach, we used a model system in which folic acid (FA) is the targeting moiety and a disulfide-linked biotin moiety serves as a cytotoxic drug surrogate. We demonstrated successful targeting of Fc-Sec proteins to folate-receptor expressing tumor cells. Tetrazine ligation was found to be an efficient method for biotin "arming" of the folate-targeted Fc-Sec proteins. We also report novel bioconjugation methodologies that use [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions between tetrazines and cyclooctynes.

Synthesis of piperazinylalkyl ester prodrugs of ketorolac and their in vitro evaluation for transdermal delivery

Ketorolac, an NSAID, has low intrinsic permeation capacity through the skin. In this work, seven piperazinylalkyl ester prodrugs of ketorolac were synthesized to enhance its skin permeation. The chemical hydrolysis and the stability in human serum at 37 degrees C were investigated in buffer solutions (pH 5.0 and 7.4) and in 80% human serum (pH 7.4), respectively. The prodrugs were chemically more stable at pH 5.0 than at pH 7.4 with prodrug 8 being the most stable (t(1/2) = 119.75 h and 11.97 h at pH 5 and 7.4, respectively). The prodrugs' t(1/2) in human serum ranged from 0.79 to 3.92 min. The prodrugs' aqueous solubility was measured in buffer solution at pH 5.0 and 7.4 and Log P(app) was measured by partitioning between buffer solution (pH 5.0 and 7.4) and n-octanol. The prodrugs were more lipophilic than ketorolac at pH 7.4. Skin permeation of ketorolac and prodrug 8, the most stable chemically, through rat skin was studied at pH 5.0 and 7.4. Prodrug 8 enhanced permeation by 1.56- and 11.39-fold at pH 5 and 7.4, respectively. This is attributed to higher lipophilicity at pH 7.4 and higher aqueous solubility at pH 5 compared to ketorolac.

Prodrugs: design and clinical applications

Prodrugs are bioreversible derivatives of drug molecules that undergo an enzymatic and/or chemical transformation in vivo to release the active parent drug, which can then exert the desired pharmacological effect. In both drug discovery and development, prodrugs have become an established tool for improving physicochemical, biopharmaceutical or pharmacokinetic properties of pharmacologically active agents. About 5-7% of drugs approved worldwide can be classified as prodrugs, and the implementation of a prodrug approach in the early stages of drug discovery is a growing trend. To illustrate the applicability of the prodrug strategy, this article describes the most common functional groups that are amenable to prodrug design, and highlights examples of prodrugs that are either launched or are undergoing human trials.

Design for optimized topical delivery: Prodrugs and a paradigm change

In theory, topical delivery has substantial potential to treat local and some systemic disease states more effectively than systemic delivery. Unfortunately many, if not most, drug candidates for topical delivery lack the requisite physicochemical properties that would allow them to permeate the skin to a clinically useful extent. One way to overcome this obstacle to effective topical delivery is to make a transient derivative of the drug, a prodrug, with the correct physicochemical properties. But what are those correct properties and can the directives for the design of prodrugs be applied to the design of new drugs, their analogs or homologs? For some time increasing the lipid solubility (S (LIPID)) or its surrogate, the partition coefficient between a lipid (LIPID) and water (AQ) (K (LIPID:AQ)), has been the standard working paradigm for increasing permeation of the skin, and the permeability coefficient (P = distance/time) has been the quantitative measure of the result. However, even the earliest reports on non-prodrugs such as alcohols showed that working paradigm was incorrect and that P should not be the relevant measure of permeation. The shorter chain and more water soluble alcohols exhibiting lower K (LIPID:AQ) values gave the greater flux values (J = amount/area x time; the more clinically relevant measure of permeation), regardless of whether they were applied neat or in an aqueous vehicle, while P showed opposite trends for the two applications. Subsequently a large volume of work has shown that, for prodrugs and non-prodrug homologs or analogs alike, S (AQ) (not solubility in the vehicle, S (VEH)) as well as S (LIPID) should be optimized to give maximum flux from any vehicle, J (MVEH): a new working paradigm. The dependence of J (MVEH) on S (AQ) is independent of the vehicle so that S (AQ) as well as S (LIPID) are descriptors of the solubilizing capacity of the skin or S (M1) in Fick's law. The inverse dependence of J (or P) on molecular weight (MW) or volume (MV) remains. Here we review the literature that leads to the conclusion that a new working paradigm is necessary to explain the experimental data, and argue for its use in the design of new prodrugs or in the selection of candidate analogs or homologs for commercialization.

Synthesis, hydrolyses and dermal delivery of N-alkyl-N-alkyloxycarbonylaminomethyl (NANAOCAM) derivatives of phenol, imide and thiol containing drugs

Synthesis, characterization and hydrolysis in aqueous buffers of novel N-alkyl-N-alkyloxycarbonylaminomethyl (NANAOCAM) derivatives of substituted phenols, theophylline (Th) and 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) were carried out. The mechanism of hydrolysis was further investigated by synthesis, characterization and hydrolysis of N-aryl-N-alkyloxycarbonylaminomethyl (NArNAOCAM) derivatives of phenols. The hydrolysis follows pseudounimolecular first order kinetics and operates by way of an S(N)1-type mechanism. Topical delivery of selected derivatives of acetaminophen (APAP), Th and 6MP was examined in in vitro diffusion cell experiments from IPM across hairless mice skins. The prodrug of APAP and 6MP increased permeation across the skin by about 2- and 4-fold, respectively, compared to the parent drug. NANAOCAM promoieties can act as novel prodrug derivatives of phenol, imide and thiol containing drugs for enhancing topical absorption.

Evaluation of hydroxyimine as cytochrome P450-selective prodrug structure

Hydroxyimine derivatives of ketoprofen (1) and nabumetone (2) were synthesized and evaluated in vitro and in vivo as cytochrome P450-selective intermediate prodrug structures of ketones. 2 released nabumetone in vitro in the presence of isolated rat and human liver microsomes and in different recombinant human CYP isoforms. Bioconversion of 2 to both nabumetone and its active metabolite, 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6-MNA), was further confirmed in rats in vivo. Results indicate that hydroxyimine is a useful intermediate prodrug structure for ketone drugs.

Design of targeted dosage form of ofloxacin+

The targeted pro-drug is a classical pro-drug design often representing a non-specific chemical approach to mask undesirable drug properties, such as limited bioavailability, lack of site specificity, and chemical instability. On the other hand, targeted pro-drug design represents a new strategy for directed and efficient drug delivery. Quinolone antibiotics exert their pharmacological effect by inhibiting the cell wall synthesis of the pathogen. However, development of resistance exists, which instigates for a new higher congener to remain in clinical practice. To overcome this phenomenon and also to produce site-specific activity of the cell walls of the pathogen, ofloxacin is conjugated with a hydroxypropyl methacrylamide polymer backbone moiety. The results of in vitro release studies indicate the possibilities for the development of a new drug for site-specific therapy with an improved t 1/2 of the drug. This novel pro-drugmay have opened a new vista in antibiotic chemotherapy. .

N-Chloroacyl-6-O-triphenylmethylchitosans: Useful Intermediates for Synthetic Modifications of Chitosan

An efficient synthetic route was developed for the mild chloroacylation of chitosan with different chloroacyl chlorides. Full N-chloroacylation was obtained with this procedure without any O-acylation, and products having lower degrees of substitution can also be produced. Organo-soluble 6-O-triphenylmethylchitosan was used as a starting material for the acylation reactions. The resulting N-chloroacyl-6-O-triphenylmethylchitosan intermediates were also organo-soluble and characterized by FT-IR. N-Methylpiperazine moieties were attached to make end products that were sufficiently soluble for characterization by NMR and also to prove that the present intermediates could be used for further modifications. The end products were fully characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and 2D 1H-13C heteronuclear single-quantum correlation NMR spectroscopy. The degrees of substitution were determined by 1H NMR. Molecular weight determination by GPC-LS displayed a significant degradation of the polymer. The weight-average molar masses (M(w)) of the end products ranged from 29.6 to 49.4 kDa, when the M(w) of the starting material was 144.2 kDa.

Synthesis, in vitro evaluation, and antileishmanial activity of water-soluble prodrugs of buparvaquone

Water-soluble phosphate prodrugs of buparvaquone (1), containing a hydroxynaphthoquinone structure, were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for improved topical and oral drug delivery against cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. The successful prodrug synthesis involved a strong base; e.g., sodium hydride. Buparvaquone-3-phosphate (4a) and 3-phosphonooxymethyl-buparvaquone (4b) prodrugs possessed significantly higher aqueous solubilities (>3.5 mg/mL) than the parent drug (</=0.03 microg/mL) over a pH range of 3.0-7.4. Moreover, 4a and 4b maintained adequate lipophilicity as indicated by distribution coefficients (log D) between 0.5 and 3.0 over this pH range. Both 4a and 4b were also shown to be substrates for alkaline phosphatase in vitro and thus are promising bioreversible prodrugs for the improved topical and oral bioavailability of 1. Buparvaquone and its prodrugs showed nanomolar or low-micromolar ED(50) activity values against species that cause cutaneous leishmaniasis, e.g., L. major, L. amazonensis, L. aethiopica, L. mexicana, and L. panamensis and also L. donovani, which is the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. From these results, the human skin permeation of the prodrugs 4a and 4b were studied in vitro. While no buparvaquone permeated across post mortem skin in vitro during 72 h of experiments, both prodrugs 4a and 4b permeated readily through the skin. In addition, 4b easily released the parent drug in human skin homogenate and, therefore, is a promising prodrug candidate to deliver buparvaquone through the skin for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Designing for topical delivery: prodrugs can make the difference

It has been shown for homologous series of prodrugs that those members who were the more water soluble ones gave the greatest enhancement in topical delivery of the parent drug and not the more lipophilic ones. However, until recently models for topical delivery and equations to predict topical delivery focused only on lipid solubility (S(LIPID)) or partition coefficient (K(OCT:AQ)) and molecular volume (or molecular weight, MW) as parameters. Now several equations (transformed Potts-Guy or Series/Parallel) have been developed which include aqueous solubility (SAQ) as a parameter for predicting flux through skin. Experimental fluxes, solubilities, and MW from seven series of prodrugs have been fit to the transformed Potts-Guy equation to give coefficients for log solubility in isopropyl myristate (log SIPM) and log solubility in water (log SAQ) (0.53 and 0.47, respectively) which show, for parent drugs delivered by prodrugs from IPM in vitro through hairless mouse skin, that water solubility is almost as important as lipid solubility. When the transformed Potts-Guy equation was fit to data for the delivery of NSAID from mineral oil (MO) in vivo through human skin, the coefficients were 0.72 log SMO and 0.28 log SAQ. When the transformed Potts-Guy equation was fit to data for the delivery of their parent drugs by three series of prodrugs from water in vitro through hairless mouse skin the coefficients were 0.66 log S(IPM) and 0.34 log SAQ. Numerous recent examples are also given where more water-soluble members of homologous series of prodrugs give higher flux values from water vehicles in vitro through human skin than the more lipid soluble ones.

Exploration of peptidyl hydrazones as water-soluble calpain inhibitors

A series of peptidyl hydrazones was synthesized, and their inhibitory activity against mu-calpain and water-solubility were measured. Among these compounds, N,N-dimethyl glycyl hydrazone 6, which inhibited mu-calpain with IC(50) of 0.37 microM, possessed the appropriate water-solubility. Furthermore, hydrazone 6 was found to possess the excellent in vitro metabolic stability.

Synthesis, stability and in vitro dermal evaluation of aminocarbonyloxymethyl esters as prodrugs of carboxylic acid agents

Aminocarbonyloxymethyl esters based on (S)-amino acid carriers were synthesised and evaluated as potential prodrugs of carboxylic acid agents. In addition, the compounds were evaluated as topical prodrugs with the aim of improving the dermal delivery of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents: naproxen and flufenamic acid. The lipophilicities of these compounds were determined and their hydrolyses in aqueous solutions and in human plasma were examined. Compounds containing a secondary carbamate group were hydrolysed at pH 7.4 by two different routes: (i) direct nucleophilic attack at the ester carbonyl carbon leading to the release of the parent carboxylic acid and (ii) intramolecular rearrangement involving an O-->N acyl migration, leading to the formation of the corresponding amide. The rearrangement pathway is highly dependent on the size of the carboxylic acid and amino acid substituents, being eliminated when the amino acid is valine or leucine. In contrast, compounds decomposed in plasma exclusively through ester hydrolysis, most releasing the parent carboxylic acid quantitatively with half-lives shorter than 5 min. The permeation of selected prodrugs across excised postmortem human skin was studied in vitro. All prodrugs evaluated exhibited a lower flux than the corresponding parent carboxylic acid. The poor skin permeation observed for compounds is most probably due to their low aqueous solubility and high partition coefficient.

Synthesis and evaluation of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory polymeric prodrug for sustained and site-specific delivery

A new polymerizable drug derivative of diclofenac sodium was synthesized and characterized in terms of melting point, elemental analysis, and infrared spectroscopy. It was then polymerized to obtain a new polymeric prodrug. The prodrug was evaluated for its viscosity, drug content, and in vitro drug release behavior at pH 1.2 and 7.2. The in vitro studies showed that the drug release takes place predominantly at the higher pH and in a sustained manner, as hypothesized. Stability at room temperature, bioavailability, and ulcer-inducing effect of the polymeric prodrug were also studied. The investigations showed complete drug absorption from the polymeric prodrug with a statistically significant decrease in ulcer scoring effect, thus showing its potentialfor site-specific and sustained drug delivery.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of polyoxyethylene esters as dermal prodrugs of ketoprofen, naproxen and diclofenac

Novel polyoxyethylene esters of ketoprofen (1(a-e)), naproxen (2(a-e)) and diclofenac (3(a-e)) were synthesized and evaluated as potential dermal prodrugs of naproxen, ketoprofen and diclofenac. These esters were obtained by coupling these drugs with polyoxyethylene glycols by a succinic acid spacer. The aqueous solubilities, lipophilicities and hydrolysis rates of esters 1(a-e), 2(a-e) and 3(a-e) were determined in a buffered solution and in porcine esterase. The permeation of these prodrugs through excised human skin was studied in vitro. Furthermore we investigated the in vivo topical anti-inflammatory activity of esters 1(d), 2(e) and 3(e), which showed the best in vitro profile, evaluating the ability of these compounds to inhibit methyl nicotinate (MN)-induced skin erythema on healthy human volunteers. Esters 1(a-e), 2(a-e) and 3(a-e) showed good water stability and rapid enzymatic cleavage and their hydrolysis rates, both chemical and enzymatic, were not significantly affected by the length of the polyoxyethylenic chain used as promoiety. Concerning in vitro percutaneous absorption studies, only esters 1(d-e), 2(d-e) and 3(c-e) showed an increased flux through stratum corneum and epidermis membranes compared to their respective parent drugs. In vivo results showed an interesting delayed and sustained activity of esters 1(d) and 3(e) compared to the parent drugs. In conclusion polyoxyethylene glycols could prove to be suitable promoieties for ketoprofen, naproxen and diclofenac design since esters 1(d-e), 2(d-e) and 3(c-e) showed some requirements (chemical stability, enzymatic lability and an increased skin permeation) needed to obtain successful dermal prodrugs. Furthermore, was observed an appreciable and sustained in vivo topical anti-inflammatory activity of esters 1(d) and 3(e), compared to the parent drugs, using MN-induced erythema in human volunteers as inflammation model.