Orally active GPIIb/IIIa antagonists: synthesis and biological activities of masked amidines as prodrugs of 2-[(3S)-4

General and efficient synthesis of benzoxazol-2(3H)-ones: evolution of their anti-cancer and anti-mycobacterial activities

A novel class of benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-one derivatives has been synthesized and their in vitro cytotoxicity against human pancreatic adenocarcinoma and human non-small cell lung carcinoma cancer cell lines was evaluated.

Design and synthesis of N¹,N⁵-bis[4-(5-alkyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)phenyl]glutaramides as potential antifungal prodrugs

A facile three step synthesis of a group of N1,N5-bis[4-(5-alkyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)phenyl]glutaramides, N1,N5-bis[4-(1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)phenyl]glutaramide and N1,N5-bis[4-(5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)phenyl]glutaramide is described. These products are designed to function as masked bis-amidine prodrugs of a promising N1,N5-bis[4-(N'-(carbamimidoyl)phenyl]glutaramide antifungal lead.

Qualitative structure-metabolism relationships in the hydrolysis of carbamates

The aims of this review were 1) to compile a large number of reliable literature data on the metabolic hydrolysis of medicinal carbamates and 2) to extract from such data a qualitative relation between molecular structure and lability to metabolic hydrolysis. The compounds were classified according to the nature of their substituents (R³OCONR¹R²), and a metabolic lability score was calculated for each class. A trend emerged, such that the metabolic lability of carbamates decreased (i.e., their metabolic stability increased), in the following series: Aryl-OCO-NHAlkyl >> Alkyl-OCO-NHAlkyl ~ Alkyl-OCO-N(Alkyl)₂ ≥ Alkyl-OCO-N(endocyclic) ≥ Aryl-OCO-N(Alkyl)₂ ~ Aryl-OCO-N(endocyclic) ≥ Alkyl-OCO-NHAryl ~ Alkyl-OCO-NHAcyl >> Alkyl-OCO-NH₂ > Cyclic carbamates. This trend should prove useful in the design of carbamates as drugs or prodrugs.

Discovery of potent, selective, and orally bioavailable quinoline-based dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors targeting Lys554

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibition is a validated therapeutic option for type 2 diabetes, exhibiting multiple antidiabetic effects with little or no risk of hypoglycemia. In our studies involving non-covalent DPP-4 inhibitors, a novel series of quinoline-based inhibitors were designed based on the co-crystal structure of isoquinolone 2 in complex with DPP-4 to target the side chain of Lys554. Synthesis and evaluation of designed compounds revealed 1-[3-(aminomethyl)-4-(4-methylphenyl)-2-(2-methylpropyl)quinolin-6-yl]piperazine-2,5-dione (1) as a potent, selective, and orally active DPP-4 inhibitor (IC₅₀=1.3 nM) with long-lasting ex vivo activity in dogs and excellent antihyperglycemic effects in rats. A docking study of compound 1 revealed a hydrogen-bonding interaction with the side chain of Lys554, suggesting this residue as a potential target site useful for enhancing DPP-4 inhibition.

Discovery and Evaluation of BMS-708163, a Potent, Selective and Orally Bioavailable γ-Secretase Inhibitor

During the course of our research efforts to develop a potent and selective γ-secretase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, we investigated a series of carboxamide-substituted sulfonamides. Optimization based on potency, Notch/amyloid-β precursor protein selectivity, and brain efficacy after oral dosing led to the discovery of 4 (BMS-708163). Compound 4 is a potent inhibitor of γ-secretase (Aβ40 IC50 = 0.30 nM), demonstrating a 193-fold selectivity against Notch. Oral administration of 4 significantly reduced Aβ40 levels for sustained periods in brain, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid in rats and dogs.

Carbamate prodrugs of N-alkylfuramidines

The synthesis and evaluation of 2,5-bis[4-(N-ethoxycarbonyl-N'-isopropyl)amidinophenyl]furan, 2,5-bis[4-(N-2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl-N'-isopropyl)amidinophenyl]furan and 2,5-bis[4-(N-cyclopentyl-N'-2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl)amidinophenyl]furan as prodrugs of bis-N-alkylamidines are reported. The results show that the bis-2,2,2-trichloroethyl carbamates function effectively in a rat model for Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Prodrugs for the treatment of neglected diseases

Recently, World Health Organization (WHO) and Medicins San Frontieres (MSF) proposed a classification of diseases as global, neglected and extremely neglected. Global diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular and mental (CNS) diseases represent the targets of the majority of the R&D efforts of pharmaceutical companies. Neglected diseases affect millions of people in the world yet existing drug therapy is limited and often inappropriate. Furthermore, extremely neglected diseases affect people living under miserable conditions who barely have access to the bare necessities for survival. Most of these diseases are excluded from the goals of the R&D programs in the pharmaceutical industry and therefore fall outside the pharmaceutical market. About 14 million people,mainly in developing countries, die each year from infectious diseases. From 1975 to 1999,1393 new drugs were approved yet only 1% were for the treatment of neglected diseases[3]. These numbers have not changed until now, so in those countries there is an urgent need for the design and synthesis of new drugs and in this area the prodrug approach is a very interesting field. It provides, among other effects, activity improvements and toxicity decreases for current and new drugs, improving market availability. It is worth noting that it is essential in drug design to save time and money, and prodrug approaches can be considered of high interest in this respect. The present review covers 20 years of research on the design of prodrugs for the treatment of neglected and extremely neglected diseases such as Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis), sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis), malaria, sickle cell disease, tuberculosis, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis.

Synthesis and antimalarial activity of new 1,12-bis(N,N'-acetamidinyl)dodecane derivatives

Amidoxime and O-substituted derivatives of the bis-alkylamidine 1,12-bis(N,N'-acetamidinyl)dodecane were synthesized and evaluated as in vitro and in vivo antimalarial prodrugs. The bis-O-methylsulfonylamidoxime 8 and the bis-oxadiazolone 9 derivatives show relatively potent antimalarial activity after oral administration.

Efficient Microwave Access to Polysubstituted Amidines from Imidoylbenzotriazoles

Microwave reactions of primary and secondary amines with imidoylbenzotriazoles 6a-w gave diversely substituted amidines 7a-Aa in 76-94% yields. Convenient preparations of a variety of amides 5a-Ab (87-96%) and imidoylbenzotriazoles 6a-w (56-95%) have also been developed using microwave irradiation under mild conditions and short reaction times. These results demonstrate further the advantages of microwave synthesis and introduce a new application of imidoylbenzotriazoles in the preparation of polysubstituted amidines.

Characterization of in vitro biotransformation of new, orally active, direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran, an amidoxime and ester prodrug

N-Hydroxylated amidines (amidoximes) can be used as prodrugs of amidines. The prodrug principle was developed in our laboratory for pentamidine and had been applied to several other drug candidates. One of these compounds is melagatran, a novel, synthetic, low molecular weight, direct thrombin inhibitor. To increase the poor oral bioavailability due to its strong basic amidine functionality selected to fit the arginine side pocket of thrombin, the less basic N-hydroxylated amidine was used in addition to an ethyl ester-protecting residue. The objective of this investigation was to study the reduction and the hydrolytic metabolism of ximelagatran via two mono-prodrugs (N-hydroxy-melagatran and ethyl-melagatran) to melagatran by in vitro experiments. New high-performance liquid chromatography methods were developed to analyze all four compounds. The biotransformation of ximelagatran to melagatran involving the reduction of the amidoxime function and the ester cleavage could be demonstrated in vitro by microsomes and mitochondria from liver and kidney of pig and human, and the kinetic parameters were determined. So far, one enzyme system capable of reducing N-hydroxylated structures has been identified in pig liver microsomes, consisting of cytochrome b(5), NADH-cytochrome b(5) reductase, and a P450 isoenzyme of the subfamily 2D. This enzyme system also reduces ximelagatran and N-hydroxy-melagatran. The participation of recombinant human CYP1A2, 2A6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4 with cytochrome b(5) and b(5) reductase in the reduction can be excluded. In summary, ximelagatran and N-hydroxy-melagatran are easily reduced by several enzyme systems located in microsomes and mitochondria of different organs.