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We describe our optimization efforts to improve the physicochemical properties, solubility, and off-target profile of 1, an inhibitor of TarO, an early stage enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway for wall teichoic acid (WTA) synthesis. Compound 1 displayed a TarO IC50 of 125 nM in an enzyme assay and possessed very high lipophilicity (clogP = 7.1) with no measurable solubility in PBS buffer. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies resulted in a series of compounds with improved lipophilic ligand efficiency (LLE) consistent with the reduction of clogP. From these efforts, analog 9 was selected for our initial in vivo study, which in combination with subefficacious dose of imipenem (IPM) robustly lowered the bacterial burden in a neutropenic Staphylococci murine infection model. Concurrent with our in vivo optimization effort using 9, we further improved LLE as exemplified by a much more druglike analog 26.

A series of pyrrolo-benzo-1,4-diazine analogs have been synthesized and displayed potent Nav1.7 inhibitory activity and moderate selectivity over Nav1.5. The syntheses, structure-activity relationships, and selected pharmacokinetic data of these analogs are described. Compound 41 displayed anti-nociceptive efficacy in the rat CFA pain model at 100 mpk oral dosing.

A series of pyrazoloquinolines, possessing (hetero)arylhydroxymethyl substituents at the quinoline C-4 position were evaluated as PDE10A inhibitors. Among these, methylpyrimidyl analogue 15 was identified as having good rodent and monkey exposure, and a MED of 10 mg/kg in an in vivo model.

A series of pyrazoloquinoline analogs have been synthesized and shown to bind to PDE10 with high affinity. From the SAR study and our lead optimization efforts, compounds 16 and 27 were found to possess potent oral antipsychotic activity in the MK-801 induced hyperactive rat model.

A series of 3-pyridinyl-tropane analogues based on previously reported compound 1 have been synthesized and shown to bind to the nociceptin receptor with high affinity. From the SAR study and our lead optimization efforts, compound 10 was found to possess potent oral antitussive activity in the capsaicin-induced guinea pig model. The rationale for compound selection and the biological profile of the optimized lead (10) are disclosed.

A series of nortropane analogs based on previously reported compound 1 have been synthesized and shown to bind to the nociceptin receptor with high affinity. The synthesis and structure-activity relationships around the C-3 nortropane substitution are described. From the SAR study and hPXR screening effort, compound 15 was identified to possess potent oral antitussive and anxiolytic-like activities in the guinea pig models.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ), the endogenous peptide ligand for the G-protein-coupled NOP receptor, inhibits cough in experimental models. SCH 225288 is a nonpeptide, orally active NOP agonist that may provide the foundation for the development of novel treatments for cough. Methods: First we characterized the selectivity of SCH 225288 in human receptor binding assays. Afterwards, the antitussive activity of SCH 225288 was studied in three mechanistically distinct cough models. Specifically, we observed the cough-suppressant effect of SCH 225288 in a guinea pig capsaicin irritant-evoked cough model, a feline mechanically induced cough model and finally in a canine Bordetella bronchiseptica disease model. Results: SCH 225288 selectively binds human NOP receptor (Ki = 0.38 ± 0.02 nmol/l) over classical opioid receptors (COR). In a guinea pig capsaicin cough model, SCH 225288 (0.1–1 mg/kg) suppressed cough at 2, 4, and 6 h after oral administration. The antitussive effect of SCH 225288 (3.0 mg/kg, p.o.) was blocked by the NOP antagonist J113397 (12 mg/kg, i.p.) but not by the classical opioid receptor (COR) antagonist, naltrexone (3.0 mg/kg, i.p.). In the anesthetized cat, we evaluated the effects of SCH 225288 given either intravenously or via the intravertebral artery against the increases in cough number and respiratory expiratory and inspiratory muscle (rectus abdominis and parasternal) electromyographic (EMG) activities due to perturbations of the intrathoracic trachea. SCH 225288 (0.03–3.0 mg/kg, i.v.) inhibited both cough number and abdominal EMG amplitudes. Similarly, SCH 225288 (0.001–0.3 mg/kg) administered intra-arterially also diminished cough number and abdominal EMG amplitudes. No significant effect of the drug was noted on parasternal EMG activity. Finally, we studied the antitussive actions of SCH 225288 (1.0 mg/kg) in a canine B. bronchiseptica disease model. In this model, dogs were challenged intranasally with B. bronchiseptica. Comparisons were made between a vehicle group, an SCH 225288 (1.0 mg/kg, p.o., q.d.) and a butorphanol (0.6 mg/kg, p.o., b.i.d.) group on the mean change in cough scores from baseline values and days 6–9 after B. bronchiseptica challenge. SCH 225288 (1.0 mg/kg, p.o., q.d.) displayed a positive antitussive tendency (p = 0.06) to inhibit B. bronchiseptica cough whereas butorphanol (0.6 mg/kg, p.o., b.i.d.) was devoid of antitussive activity. Conclusions: Taken together, the present data show that SCH 225288 is a potent and effective antitussive agent in animal models of cough. Furthermore, these findings indicate that NOP agonists represent a promising new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cough without the side effect liabilities associated with opioid antitussives.

A series of 4-hydroxy-4-phenylpiperidines have been synthesized and bind to the nociceptin receptor with high affinity. The synthesis and structure-activity relationships at the N-1 and C-4 are described.

IRAK4 is a critical upstream kinase in the IL-1R/TLR signaling pathway. Inhibition of IRAK4 is hypothesized to be beneficial in the treatment of autoimmune related disorders. A screening campaign identified a pyrazole class of IRAK4 inhibitors that were determined by X-ray crystallography to exhibit an unusual binding mode. SAR efforts focused on the identification of a potent and selective inhibitor with good aqueous solubility and rodent pharmacokinetics. Pyrazole C-3 piperidines were well tolerated, with N-sulfonyl analogues generally having good rodent oral exposure but poor solubility. N-Alkyl piperidines exhibited excellent solubility and reduced exposure. Pyrazoles possessing N-1 pyridine and fluorophenyl substituents were among the most active. Piperazine 32 was a potent enzyme inhibitor with good cellular activity. Compound 32 reduced the in vivo production of proinflammatory cytokines and was orally efficacious in a mouse antibody induced arthritis disease model of inflammation.

A flexible route to analogues of dihydroimidazo[5,1-a]isoquinolines is described. The synthesis hinges on a sequential Ugi coupling, followed by a Bischler–Napieralski reaction to form the imidazole isoquinoline core. This route facilitates the introduction of a range of substitutions throughout the carbon framework.

A novel thiadiazole compound, SCH-202676 (N-(2,3-diphenyl-1,2, 4-thiadiazol-5-(2H)-ylidene)methanamine), has been identified as an inhibitor of both agonist and antagonist binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). SCH-202676 inhibited radioligand binding to a number of structurally distinct, heterologously expressed GPCRs, including the human mu-, delta-, and kappa-opioid, alpha- and beta-adrenergic, muscarinic M1 and M2, and dopaminergic D1 and D2 receptors, but not to the tyrosine kinase epidermal growth factor receptor. SCH-202676 had no direct effect on G protein activity as assessed by [35S]guanosine-5'-O-(gamma-thio)triphosphate binding to purified recombinant G(oalpha)- or G(betagamma)-stimulated ADP-ribosylation of G(oalpha) by pertussis toxin. In addition, SCH-202676 inhibited antagonist binding to the beta2-adrenergic receptor expressed in Escherichia coli, a system devoid of classical heterotrimeric G proteins. SCH-202676 inhibited radiolabeled agonist and antagonist binding to the alpha2a-adrenergic receptor with an IC50 value of 0.5 microM, decreased the Bmax value of the binding sites with a slight increase in the KD value, and inhibited agonist-induced activation of the receptor. The effects of SCH-202676 were reversible. Incubation of plasma membranes with 10 microM SCH-202676 did not alter subsequent radioligand binding to the alpha2a-adrenergic receptor and the dopaminergic D1 receptor. Taken together, our data suggest that SCH-202676 has the unique ability to allosterically regulate agonist and antagonist binding to GPCRs in a manner that is both selective and reversible. The scope of the data presented suggests this occurs by direct interaction with a structural motif common to a large number of GPCRs or by activation/inhibition of an unidentified accessory protein that regulates GPCR function.

Syntheses and structure-activity relationships (SAR) of cGMP selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors are discussed. Potent and selective inhibitors are produced when the C-2 position of tetracyclic guanine 1 is substituted with alkyl chains containing six carbon atoms.

The two-step sequence is optimized to give fair yields of the biologically interesting title compounds (V).

The identification of potent and orally active dihydroimidazoisoquinolines as PDE 10A inhibitors is reported. The SAR development led to the discovery of compound 35 as a potent, selective, and orally active PDE10A inhibitor. Compound 35 inhibited MK-801-induced hyperactivity at 3 mg/kg and displayed a 10-fold separation between the minimal effective doses for inhibition of MK-801-induced hyperactivity and hypolocomotion in rats.

High-throughput screening identified a series of pyrazoloquinolines as PDE10A inhibitors. The SAR development led to the discovery of compound 27 as a potent, selective, and orally active PDE10A inhibitor. Compound 27 inhibits MK-801 induced hyperactivity at 3 mg/kg with an ED50 of 4 mg/kg and displays a ∼6-fold separation between the ED50 for inhibition of MK-801 induced hyperactivity and hypolocomotion in rats.

A series of 2,4-diphenyl-1H-imidazole analogs have been synthesized and displayed potent human CB2 agonist activity. Many of these analogs showed high functional selectivity over human CB1 receptors. The syntheses, structure-activity relationships, and selected pharmacokinetic data of these analogs are described.

The endogenous opioid-like peptide, nociceptin, produces anxiolytic-like effects that are mediated via the nociceptin (NOP) receptor. Similarly, synthetic, non-peptide NOP agonists produce robust anxiolytic-like effects although these effects are limited by marked side effects. In the present studies, the effects of a novel NOP receptor agonist, SCH 655842, were examined in rodent models sensitive to anxiolytic drugs and tests measuring potential adverse affects. Oral administration of SCH 655842 produced robust, anxiolytic-like effects in three species, i.e., rat, guinea pig, and mouse. Specifically, SCH 655842 was effective in rat conditioned lick suppression (3-10 mg/kg) and fear-potentiated startle (3-10 mg/kg) tests, a guinea pig pup vocalization test (1-3 mg/kg), as well as in mouse Geller-Seifter (30 mg/kg) and marble burying (30 mg/kg) tests. The anxiolytic-like effect of SCH 655842 in the conditioned lick suppression test was attenuated by the NOP antagonist, J-113397. In mice, SCH 655842 reduced locomotor activity and body temperature at doses similar to the anxiolytic-like dose and these effects were absent in NOP receptor knockout mice. In rats, SCH 655842 did not produce adverse behavioral effects up to doses of 70-100 mg/kg. Pharmacokinetic studies in the rat confirmed dose-related increases in plasma and brain levels of SCH 655842 across a wide oral dose range. Taken together, SCH 655842 may represent a NOP receptor agonist with improved tolerability compared to other members of this class although further studies are necessary to establish whether this extends to higher species.

The study of human metabolism of endo-8[bis(2-chlorophenyl)methyl]-3-(2-pyrimidinyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-ol (SCH 486757) after a 200-mg oral dose of the drug to healthy volunteers in the first-in-human study is presented. The structural elucidation of two unique metabolites, which were detected in the process of metabolite characterization in human plasma and urine by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), is described. These metabolites (M27 and M34) were initially detected in human plasma at high levels (>35% of the LC-MS response of the parent drug). Additional LC-MS experiments (hydrogen/deuterium exchange and accurate mass measurement) were used to determine structures of metabolites. It was found that both metabolites were formed through a loss of the C–C bridge from the tropane moiety with the conversion into a substituted pyridinium compound. This metabolic process has not been reported previously. Because of the apparent high abundance of metabolites based on the LC-MS response, actual circulating amounts of these metabolites relative to the parent drug were determined semiquantitatively to evaluate their coverage in preclinical species. With the use of reference standards, it was shown that the LC-MS response of M27 and M34 in human plasma was much higher than that of the parent compound. Actual amounts of M27 and M34 metabolites were less than 5% of the level of the parent drug; therefore, additional assessment was not required.

We describe the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic profiles of SCH 486757, a nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor agonist that has recently entered human clinical trials for cough. SCH 486757 selectively binds human NOP receptor (Ki = 4.6 ± 0.61 nM) over classical opioid receptors. In a guinea pig capsaicin cough model, SCH 486757 (0.01–1 mg/kg) suppressed cough at 2, 4, and 6 h post oral administration with a maximum efficacy occurring at 4 h equivalent to codeine, hydrocodone, dextromethorphan and baclofen. The antitussive effects of SCH 486757 (3.0 mg/kg, p.o.) was blocked by the NOP receptor antagonist J113397 (12 mg/kg, i.p.) but not by naltrexone (10 mg/kg, p.o.). SCH 486757 does not produce tolerance to its antitussive activity after a 5-day BID dosing regimen. After acute and chronic dosing paradigms, SCH 486757 (1 mg/kg) inhibited capsaicin-evoked coughing by 46 ±9% and 40 ± 11%, respectively. In a feline mechanically-evoked cough model, SCH 486757 produces a maximum inhibition of cough and expiratory abdominal electromyogram amplitude of 59 and 61%, respectively. SCH 486757 did not significantly affect inspiratory electromyogram amplitude. We examined the abuse potential of SCH 486757 (10 mg/kg, p.o.) in a rat conditioned place preference procedure which is sensitive to classical drugs of abuse, such as amphetamine and morphine. SCH 486757 was without effect in this model. Finally, SCH 486757 displays a good oral pharmacokinetic profile in the guinea pig, rat and dog. We conclude that SCH 486757 has a favorable antitussive profile in preclinical animal models.

The discovery of 1 as a high-affinity ligand for the nociceptin receptor has led to the synthesis of a series of tropane (8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane) derivatives as optimized ligands. These compounds exhibit high affinity for the nociceptin receptor, moderate to excellent selectivity over the opioid μ receptor, and behave as full agonists. In this Letter, we present the synthesis and highlight the structure–activity relationship of tropane derivatives culminating in the identification of 24 and 32 as potent and orally active antitussive and anxiolytic agents. The in vitro and in vivo activities, pharmacokinetic profile, and the hPXR activity, which predicts the potential 3A4 induction in human, are disclosed.

A series of 3-axial-aminomethyl-N-benzhydryl-nortropane analogs have been synthesized and identified to bind to the nociceptin receptor with high affinity. Many of these analogs showed high binding selectivity over classic opioid receptors such as μ receptor. The synthesis and structure–activity relationships around the C-3 nortropane substitution are described. Selected compounds with potent oral antitussive activity in the guinea pig model are disclosed.

Orphanin FQ/nociceptin (OFQ/N) is the endogenously occurring peptide ligand for the nociceptin opioid receptor (NOP) that produces anxiolytic-like effects in mice and rats. The present study assessed the anxiolytic-like activity of 8-[bis(2-methylphenyl)-methyl]-3-phenyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-ol (SCH 221510), a novel potent piperidine NOP agonist (EC(50) = 12 nM) that binds with high affinity (K(i) = 0.3 nM) and functional selectivity (>50-fold over the mu-, kappa-, and delta-opioid receptors). The anxiolytic-like activity and side-effect profile of SCH 221510 were assessed in a variety of models and the benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide (CDP), was included for comparison. The effects of chronic dosing of SCH 221510 were also assessed. Furthermore, the specificity of the anxiolytic-like effect of SCH 221510 was investigated with the NOP receptor antagonist 1-[(3R,4R)-1-cyclooctylmethyl-3-hydroxymethyl-4-piperidyl]-3-ethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzimidazol-2-one (J-113397) and the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone. Like CDP (1-30 mg/kg i.p.), SCH 221510 (1-30 mg/kg p.o.) produced anxiolytic-like effects in the elevated plus-maze (rat and gerbil), Vogel conflict (rat), conditioned lick suppression (rat), fear-potentiated startle (rat), and pup separation-induced vocalization (guinea pig) assays. In the Vogel conflict, the anxiolytic-like effect of SCH 221510 (10 mg/kg) was attenuated by J-113397 (3-10 mg/kg p.o.), but not naltrexone (3-30 mg/kg i.p.). Additionally, the anxiolytic-like effects of SCH 221510 did not change appreciably following 14-day b.i.d. dosing in rats (10 mg/kg). Furthermore, unlike CDP, SCH 221510 (3-30 mg/kg) produced anxiolytic-like activity at doses that did not disrupt overt behavior. Collectively, these data suggest that NOP agonists such as SCH 221510 may have an anxiolytic-like profile similar to benzodiazepines, with a reduced side-effect liability.

A series of 4-[2-(aminomethyl)phenyl]-1-[bis(2-chlorophenyl)methyl]-4-hydroxypiperidine analogs has been identified as nociceptin receptor ligands. These compounds display high affinity and functional activity at the nociceptin receptor. The synthesis and structure–activity relationships at the C-4 phenyl and N-1 positions are described and the antitussive activity of a selected compound is reported.