Identification of an active metabolite of PAR-1 antagonist RWJ-58259 and synthesis of analogues to enhance its metabolic stability

[Current antiplatelet agents, new inhibitors and therapeutic targets]

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of deaths in the world. Platelets play a major role in the occurrence of these diseases and the development of antiplatelet drugs is a priority in the fight against cardiovascular diseases-associated mortality. Aspirin and thienopyridine-based P2Y12 inhibitors are the main drugs currently used. These molecules target the initiation of platelets activation and are responsible for a moderate inhibitory action. Other antiplatelet agents, as glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antagonists, inhibit platelet aggregation independently of initial activation-associated pathways, but are responsible for increased hemorrhagic events. Regarding each antiplatelet agent's specific characteristics, the prescription of these drugs must take into account the type of cardiovascular event, the age of the patient, the past medical history, and the potential hemorrhagic adverse events. Thus, there is a need for the development of new molecules with a more targeted effect, maintaining optimal efficiency but with a reduction of the hemorrhagic risk, which is the principal limitation of these treatments.

A facile route to 1H- and 2H-indazoles from readily accessible acyl hydrazides by exploiting a novel aryne-based molecular rearrangement

Herein we report the transformation of readily synthesised acyl hydrazides into 2-hydrazobenzophenones via a novel molecular rearrangement pathway using aryne chemistry. The developed reaction protocol is performed under relatively mild conditions and is tolerant of a wide variety of functional groups, and the 2-hydrazobenzophenone products provide access to both 1H- and 2H-indazoles from a single intermediate.

Characterization of Protease-Activated Receptor (PAR) ligands: Parmodulins are reversible allosteric inhibitors of PAR1-driven calcium mobilization in endothelial cells

Several classes of ligands for Protease-Activated Receptors (PARs) have shown impressive anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective activities, including PAR2 antagonists and the PAR1-targeting parmodulins. In order to support medicinal chemistry studies with hundreds of compounds and to perform detailed mode-of-action studies, it became important to develop a reliable PAR assay that is operational with endothelial cells, which mediate the cytoprotective effects of interest. We report a detailed protocol for an intracellular calcium mobilization assay with adherent endothelial cells in multiwell plates that was used to study a number of known and new PAR1 and PAR2 ligands, including an alkynylated version of the PAR1 antagonist RWJ-58259 that is suitable for the preparation of tagged or conjugate compounds. Using the cell line EA.hy926, it was necessary to perform media exchanges with automated liquid handling equipment in order to obtain optimal and reproducible antagonist concentration-response curves. The assay is also suitable for study of PAR2 ligands; a peptide antagonist reported by Fairlie was synthesized and found to inhibit PAR2 in a manner consistent with reports using epithelial cells. The assay was used to confirm that vorapaxar acts as an irreversible antagonist of PAR1 in endothelium, and parmodulin 2 (ML161) and the related parmodulin RR-90 were found to inhibit PAR1 reversibly, in a manner consistent with negative allosteric modulation.

An optimized procedure for direct access to 1H-indazole-3-carboxaldehyde derivatives by nitrosation of indoles

The nitrosation of indoles under slightly acidic conditions and reverse addition conditions leads to the preparation of the corresponding indazole-3-carboxaldehydes in high yields and greatly minimizes side reactions.

Synthesis of novel and potent vorapaxar analogues

Unlocking novel and potent vorapaxar analogues by functionalisation of previously unexplored positions on the parent vorapaxar scaffold.