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ONO-4641, 1-({6-[(2-methoxy-4-propylbenzyl)oxy]-1-methyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl}methyl)azetidine-3-carboxylic acid (ceralifimod), is a second-generation sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor agonist selective for sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors 1 and 5, and has clinical effects in multiple sclerosis. The objective of the present study was to explore other potential indications for ONO-4641 based on its immunomodulatory effects. ONO-4641 was tested in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, an animal model of spontaneous type 1 diabetes mellitus, an autoimmune disease with unmet medical needs. ONO-4641 at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg prevented the onset of diabetes mellitus in NOD mice. Furthermore, ONO-4641 at doses of 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg decreased diabetic prevalence in NOD mice after the onset of diabetes mellitus in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological analysis demonstrated that insulin-positive areas in the islets of mice administered 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg ONO-4641 showed a tendency of high values although they were not significantly different from the Control group, which was treated with vehicle. These observations suggest ONO-4641 may delay the onset and progression of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The discovery of 1-({6-[(2-methoxy-4-propylbenzyl)oxy]-1-methyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl}methyl)azetidine-3-carboxylic acid 13n (ceralifimod, ONO-4641), a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor agonist selective for S1P1 and S1P5, is described. While it has been revealed that the modulation of the S1P1 receptor is an effective way to treat autoimmune diseases such as relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), it was also reported that activation of the S1P3 receptor is implicated in some undesirable effects. We carried out a structure–activity relationship (SAR) study of hit compound 6 with an amino acid moiety in the hydrophilic head region. Following identification of a lead compound with a dihydronaphthalene central core by inducing conformational constraint, optimization of the lipophilic tail region led to the discovery of 13n as a clinical candidate that exhibited >30 000-fold selectivity for S1P1 over S1P3 and was potent in a peripheral lymphocyte lowering (PLL) test in mice (ED50 = 0.029 mg/...

The discovery of 1-({6-[(2-methoxy-4-propylbenzyl)oxy]-1-methyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl}methyl)azetidine-3-carboxylic acid 13n (ceralifimod, ONO-4641), a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor agonist selective for S1P

Background and Purpose: High levels of blood coagulation factor XI (FXI) are an established risk factor for acute ischemic stroke and thrombosis. Patients with severe FXI deficiency have a low risk of ischemic stroke. In addition, FXI-deficient or anti-FXI antibody-treated mice are protected against cerebral ischemic injury and bleeding is not observed. Therefore, FXI is considered to be a promising drug target for the treatment and secondary prevention of ischemic stroke that would not increase the risk of bleeding. ONO-8610539 is a potent, injectable small-molecule inhibitor of activated FXI. The objective of this study was to elucidate the effects of ONO-8610539 on preventing ischemic brain injury in an experimental stroke model. Methods: The preventive and hemorrhagic effects of ONO-8610539 were compared with those of argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor, in a rabbit middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion model. To occlude the MCA photothrombotically, rose bengal was administered, followed by irradiation with green light for 30 minutes. The intravenous administration of ONO-8610539 or argatroban was then initiated and continued for 23.5 hours. The effects of these compounds on neurological function, infarcted brain volume, and cerebral hemorrhage volume were evaluated in a blinded manner. Blood was collected to measure activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) before and at 24 hours after photothrombosis. Results: ONO-8610539 at doses of 0.3 and 1 mg/kg/h significantly attenuated neurological deficits and infarct volumes in the cortex. Even at a dose of 1 mg/kg/h, ONO-8610539 did not increase cerebral hemorrhage volume. The APTT ratios increased by 1.9-fold from baseline at the 0.3 mg/kg/h dose and increased by 4.4-fold at 1 mg/kg/h, while changes in PT were not observed at either doses. Argatroban also prevented ischemic neuronal injuries at 0.3 mg/kg/h; however, these effects were attenuated at 1 mg/kg/h. Moreover, argatroban significantly exacerbated cerebral hemorrhage at 1 mg/kg/h. Conclusion: ONO-8610539 is expected to be a novel potent anticoagulant for the treatment and prevention of ischemic stroke that does not increase bleeding risk.

CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) has been implicated as a preferential marker for T helper type 2 (Th2) cells, and is believed to be involved in the pathology of allergic diseases by controlling Th2 cell trafficking into inflamed tissues. The objective of the study was to characterize the pharmacological properties of E0001-163, a novel CCR4 antagonist. E0001-163 was tested in both in vitro chemotaxis assays as well as in vivo mouse models of CCR4 ligand-induced air pouch and antigen-induced airway inflammation by utilizing in vitro -polarized Th2 cells. In vitro , E0001-163 inhibited migratory response of human Th2-polarized cells to CCL22, a CCR4 ligand, with an IC 50 value of 11.9 nM. E0001-163 significantly suppressed CCL22-induced Th2 cell trafficking into mouse air pouch in a dose-dependent manner at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg, suggesting that E0001-163 has an inhibitory effect on CCR4-mediated T cell trafficking in vivo . In addition, E0001-163 partially decreased Th2 cell trafficking and the level of IL-4 in the lungs in Th2-tansferred and ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged mice. T cell trafficking involves multiple chemokine receptors both in acute and chronic phases, and our findings suggest that CCR4, together with other chemokine receptors, may be involved in Th2 cell trafficking under disease conditions.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) evokes various physiological responses through a series of G protein-coupled receptors known as LPA1–6. A high throughput screen against LPA1 gave compound 7a as a hit. The subsequent optimization of 7a led to ONO-7300243 (17a) as a novel, potent LPA1 antagonist, which showed good efficacy in vivo. The oral dosing of 17a at 30 mg/kg led to reduced intraurethral pressure in rats. Notably, this compound was equal in potency to the α1 adrenoceptor antagonist tamsulosin, which is used in clinical practice to treat dysuria with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In contrast to tamsulosin, compound 17a had no impact on the mean blood pressure at this dose. These results suggest that LPA1 antagonists could be used to treat BPH without affecting the blood pressure. Herein, we report the hit-to-lead optimization of a unique series of LPA1 antagonists and their in vivo efficacy.

Structure–activity relationship (SAR) of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonists with a dihydronaphthalene scaffold was investigated. Compound 1 was modified to improve S1P1 agonistic activity and in vivo peripheral lymphocyte lowering (PLL) activity without impairing selectivity over S1P3 agonistic activity. A detailed SAR study of the terminal lipophilic part revealed that the introduction of substituents on the propylene linker and the terminal benzene ring influences in vitro and PLL activities. Compound 6n bearing a (S)-methyl group at the 2-position on the propylene linker and chlorine at the para-position on the terminal benzene ring showed potent hS1P1 agonistic activity with excellent selectivity over hS1P3 and in vivo PLL activity in mice.

Structure-activity relationship of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonists was examined. Cinnamyl derivative 1 was modified to improve S1P(1) agonistic activity as well as selectivity over S1P(3) agonistic activity. Dihydronaphthalene derivative 10d was identified as a potent S1P(1) receptor agonist with high selectivity against S1P(3) and enhanced efficacy in lowering peripheral lymphocyte counts in mice.

Hydroxylated derivatives were designed and synthesized based on the information of oxidative metabolites. Compounds derived from β-substituted (2 R ,3 R )-2-amino-3-hydroxypropionic acid showed improved inhibitory activities against the binding of MIP-1α to human CCR5, compared with the non-hydroxylated derivatives and the other isomers.

A series of N-benzoyl 4-aminobutyric acid hydroxamate analogs were synthesized and evaluated as matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. Synthetic work was focused on the chemical modification of the 4-aminobutyric acid part using easily available starting materials. As such, chemical modification was carried out using commercially available starting materials such as 4-aminobutyric acid, (+)- and (-)-malic acid, and D- and L-glutamic acid derivatives. Among the compounds tested, N-[4-(benzofuran-2-yl)benzoyl] 4-amino-4S-hydroxymethylbutyric acid hydroxamates derived from L-glutamic acid demonstrated more potent inhibitory activity against MMP-2 and MMP-9 compared with the corresponding 2S-hydroxy analogs or 3S-hydroxy analogs, respectively, which were derived from (-)-malic acid. Structure-activity relationship study is presented.

We previously reported the discovery of several spirodiketopiperazine derivatives as potent CCR5 antagonists with anti-HIV activity. Herein, we describe in detail the identification of these lead compounds using a combinatorial chemistry approach. A novel spirodiketopiperazine scaffold was designed on the basis of the concept of the privileged structure of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This new framework was obtained in acceptable yield with high purity from the readily prepared isonitrile resin through the Ugi reaction, sequential transformations, and cyclative cleavage. By measuring the inhibitory activity of each compound in the initial library against the intracellular calcium mobilization stimulated by MIP-1alpha, several compounds were found to show modest but selective CCR5 antagonistic activity. After the rapid evaluation of these hit compounds, several single-digit nanomolar, low-molecular-weight CCR5 antagonists that can potently block the infectivity and replication of laboratory and clinical strains of HIV as well as those of highly drug-resistant HIV variants with minimal cytotoxicity have been identified.

We have previously found that a 14-amino acid residue-peptide, T140, inhibits infection of target cells by T cell line-tropic HIV-1 (X4-HIV-1) through its specific binding to a chemokine receptor, CXCR4. Here, the importance of an L-3-(2-naphthyl)alanine (Nal) residue at position 3 in T140 for high anti-HIV activity and inhibitory activity against Ca(2+) mobilization induced by stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1alpha-stimulation through CXCR4 has initially been shown by the synthesis and biological evaluation of several analogues, where Nal(3) is substituted by diverse aromatic amino acids. Next, the order of the N-terminal 3 residues (Arg(1)-Arg(2)-Nal(3)) has been proved to be important from the structure--activity relationship (SAR) study shuffling these residues. Based on these results, we have found 10-residue peptides possessing modest anti-HIV activity by systematic antiviral evaluation of a series of synthetic, shortened analogues of T140.

A convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of synthetically useful non-racemic allylic alcohols from 4-methylbenzenesulfonates of non-racemic 2,3-epoxy alcohols is described. Satisfactory yields are obtained by treatment of 4-methylbenzenesulfonates of non-racemic 2,3-epoxy alcohols with potassium iodide followed by zinc powder and ammonium chloride in a one-pot manner. The method has been successfully applied to the synthesis of a key building block of C 30 C 37 botryococcenes.

A stereocontrolled synthesis of the (E)-alkene dipeptide isostere of Trp-Val is described. The stereospecific α-alkylation of the δ-amino-γ-mesyloxy-α, β-unsaturated ester via the organocyanocopper-Lewis acid mediated reaction, based on 1, 3-transfer of chirality, was successfully applied for the key step in the synthetic sequence.

The specific bombesin receptor antagonist, (E)-alkene bombesin isostere (EABI-1), [D-Phe6,Leu13psi[(E)CH=CH]Leu14]bombesin(6-14) is a potent antagonist in terms of inhibition of bombesin-stimulated amylase release from rat pancreatic acini. This study examined the effects of EABI-1 (L-L diastereomer) and three novel bombesin analogues on amylase release in rat pancreatic acini. EABI-2 is a L-D diastereomer of EABI-1. EABI-3 is an analogue, of which leucine at position 13 of EABI-1 was replaced with valine. EABI-4 is a L-D diastereomer of EABI-3 (L-L). The order of agonist potency was EABI-2>EABI-3>EABI-4. EABI-1 showed no agonist activity at concentrations up to 100nM. On the other hand, all of four analogues had antagonist activity. The order of antagonist potency was EABI-1>EABI-3>EABI-4>EABI-2. EABI-1 was a complete antagonist, EABI-2 and EABI-3 were partial agonists, and EABI-4 had a weak agonist effect. The present study provides a useful information on the future development of peptide analogues for anticancer agents and biological tools for investigating actions of bombesin family peptides.

A practical synthesis of chiral N -arylsulfonyl- cis - γ , δ -epimino-( E )- α , β -enoates, key intermediates for the synthesis of ( E )-alkene dipeptide isosteres via Pd(0)-catalyzed equilibrated reactions, has been successfully achieved by exposing N -arylsulfonyl-γ,δ-epimino-α,β-unsaturated esters to a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh 3 ) 4 in THF at 0 ∼ 20 °C.

Synthesis of three cis-trans pairs of N-sulfonylated-2-aziridinemethanols starting from (S)-threonine, (R)-allothreonine, a chiral 2-amino alcohol, or enantiomerically enriched 2, 3-epoxy alcohols is described. A synthetic route to N-tosyl- and N-mesyl-2-aziridinemethanols from (R)- and (S)-serines is also presented.

Complementary selectivity can be achieved in ring opening reactions of 2-aziridinemethanols by using either the Gilman reagent or lower order cyanocuprate. In the former case, the usual attack of the Gilman reagent to the substrates 1 and 2 results in the formation of the expected ring opening products ( 3 and 4 ) and ( 7 and 8 ), respectively. In contrast, exposure of both 1 and 2 to the lower order cyanocuprate proceeds in an unprecedented fashion, presumably via epoxides D and G , to yield unexpected secondary alcohols ( 11 and 12 ) as the major products.

Treatment of RMgX (1 equiv. R = alkyl; X = Cl, Br) with ZnCl 2 (1 equiv.) in a mixed solvent of THF and Et 2 O leads to a highly turbid white suspension. Addition of LiCl (1∼2 equiv.) solubilizes the insoluble species to yield a colorless clear solution. Addition of a catalytic amount of a Cu(II)-salt followed by allylic halides or mesylates at 0 °C ∼ room temperature yielded S N 2′products in high yields. Application for the synthesis of ( E )-alkene dipeptide isosteres is also reported.

2-Quinolinylmethyl thioethers were efficiently cleaved to generate the corresponding symmetrical disulfides using the following systems; FeCl3/N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/H2O, FeCl3/ethanol (EtOH)/H2O, and CuCl2/DMF/H2O. The 2-quinolinylmethyl group was utilized as a thiol protecting group in the synthesis of a model peptide.

The reactions of protected serine- and threonine-derived γ-(mesyloxy) α,β-unsaturated esters with various magnesio organocyanocopper Lewis acid complexes have been investigated. The formation of syn-S N 2' products in addition to the normally expected anti-S N 2'products is taken as an indication that the reaction proceeds by a mechanism involving coordination of the magnesiocuprate with the C(δ)-N:C(γ)-O syn-γ-(mesyloxy) α,β-enoates

Whereas the reaction of γ-mesyloxy α,β-enoates with vinyl-Cu(CN)M or (vinyl) 2 Cu(CN)M 2 (M = Li or MgX) yielded a reduction product with an ( E )-double bond at the β,γ-position, treatment of the same substrates with “higher order” zinc cuprate reagents or vinyl-ZnCl by the addition of a catalytic amount of Cu(I) or Cu(II) salt afforded α- and γ-vinylation products. Both vinylation products were stable 1,4-diene derivatives that are only more difficulty accessed by more traditional means.

Structure-activity relationship of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonist was examined. In terms of reducing the flexibility of molecule, hit compound 1 was modified to improve S1P(1) agonistic activity as well as selectivity over S1P(3) agonistic activity. Novel S1P agonists with cinnamyl scaffold or 1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine scaffold were identified.

The reactions of protected serine- and threonine-derived γ-(mesyloxy) α,β-unsaturated esters with various magnesio organocyanocopper Lewis acid complexes have been investigated. The formation of syn-S N 2' products in addition to the normally expected anti-S N 2'products is taken as an indication that the reaction proceeds by a mechanism involving coordination of the magnesiocuprate with the C(δ)-N:C(γ)-O syn-γ-(mesyloxy) α,β-enoates

Treatment of RMgX (1 equiv. R = alkyl; X = Cl, Br) with ZnCl 2 (1 equiv.) in a mixed solvent of THF and Et 2 O leads to a highly turbid white suspension. Addition of LiCl (1∼2 equiv.) solubilizes the insoluble species to yield a colorless clear solution. Addition of a catalytic amount of a Cu(II)-salt followed by allylic halides or mesylates at 0 °C ∼ room temperature yielded S N 2′products in high yields. Application for the synthesis of ( E )-alkene dipeptide isosteres is also reported.

2-Quinolinylmethyl thioethers were efficiently cleaved to generate the corresponding symmetrical disulfides using the following systems; FeCl3/N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/H2O, FeCl3/ethanol (EtOH)/H2O, and CuCl2/DMF/H2O. The 2-quinolinylmethyl group was utilized as a thiol protecting group in the synthesis of a model peptide.

Complementary selectivity can be achieved in ring opening reactions of 2-aziridinemethanols by using either the Gilman reagent or lower order cyanocuprate. In the former case, the usual attack of the Gilman reagent to the substrates 1 and 2 results in the formation of the expected ring opening products ( 3 and 4 ) and ( 7 and 8 ), respectively. In contrast, exposure of both 1 and 2 to the lower order cyanocuprate proceeds in an unprecedented fashion, presumably via epoxides D and G , to yield unexpected secondary alcohols ( 11 and 12 ) as the major products.

Whereas the reaction of γ-mesyloxy α,β-enoates with vinyl-Cu(CN)M or (vinyl) 2 Cu(CN)M 2 (M = Li or MgX) yielded a reduction product with an ( E )-double bond at the β,γ-position, treatment of the same substrates with “higher order” zinc cuprate reagents or vinyl-ZnCl by the addition of a catalytic amount of Cu(I) or Cu(II) salt afforded α- and γ-vinylation products. Both vinylation products were stable 1,4-diene derivatives that are only more difficulty accessed by more traditional means.

The stereoselective synthesis of biologically important vinylglycine derivatives by reaction of homochiral 4-methoxycarbonyl-5-vinyloxazolidin-2-ones with organocopper reagents is described; 4,5-trans-oxazolidin-2-one 6 yields (E)-vinylglycines as the major products by treatment with the ‘higher order’ cyanocuprate–BF3 reagents or trialkylzincates in the presence of cuprous cyanide, 4,5-cis-oxazolidin-2-one 10 affords only the desired (E)-vinylglycines.

Synthesis of three cis-trans pairs of N-sulfonylated-2-aziridinemethanols starting from (S)-threonine, (R)-allothreonine, a chiral 2-amino alcohol, or enantiomerically enriched 2, 3-epoxy alcohols is described. A synthetic route to N-tosyl- and N-mesyl-2-aziridinemethanols from (R)- and (S)-serines is also presented.

A simple synthetic method for the preparation of scalemic allylic alcohols from toluene-p-sulfonates of scalemic 2,3-epoxy alcohols is reported. Satisfactory yields are obtained by treatment of toluene-p-sulfonates of 2,3-epoxy alcohols with potassium iodide followed by triphenylphosphine and iodine in a one-pot synthesis.

A stereocontrolled synthesis of the (E)-alkene dipeptide isostere of Trp-Val is described. The stereospecific α-alkylation of the δ-amino-γ-mesyloxy-α, β-unsaturated ester via the organocyanocopper-Lewis acid mediated reaction, based on 1, 3-transfer of chirality, was successfully applied for the key step in the synthetic sequence.

Using the previously reported novel spirodiketopiperazine scaffold, the design and synthesis of orally available CCR5 antagonists was undertaken. Compounds possessing a carboxylic acid function in the appropriate position showed improved oral exposure (AUC) relative to the initial chemical leads without reduction in the antagonist activity. The optimized compound 40 was found to show potent anti-HIV activity. Full details of structure-activity relationship (SAR) study are presented.

The “higher order” organozinc cuprates, R 2 Cu(CN)(ZnCl) 2 ·2Mg(X)Cl·nLiCl, derived from admixture of LiCl (1∼2 equiv.), ZnCl 2 (1 equiv.), RMgX (1 equiv.), and CuCN (0.5 equiv.) in a mixed solvent of THF and Et 2 O exhibit high diastereoselection of up to > 99: 1 in the synthesis of (E)-alkene dipeptide isosteres from γ-mesyloxy-α,β-unsaturated esters. Addition of lithium chloride is essential for the preparation of clear solutions of reagents.

Spirodiketopiperazine-based CCR5 antagonists, showing improved pharmacokinetic profiles without reduction in antagonist activity, were designed and synthesized. We also demonstrate the anti-HIV activity of a representative compound 12, as measured in a p24 assay.

Readily available protected forms of δ-amino-γ-msyloxy-α,β-enoates can be converted to protected dipeptide isosteres, Ω[(E)CHCH]Gly, in high yields by reduction with alkenylcopper reagents.

A stereoselective synthesis of protected (E)-alkene dipeptide isosteres by the reaction of the mesylates of homochiral δ-aminated γ-hydroxy (E)-α,β-enoates with either RCu(CN)Li-BF 3 or RCu(CN)MgX-BF 3 reagent is described. The degree of diastereoselectivity has been found to be uniformly high except for the serine- and threonine-derived acetonides 77 and 81. The synthesis permits the introduction of sterically hindered appendages such as isopropyl and tert-butyl groups at the α position to the ester group. This methodology provides a new route to a wide range of modified (E)-alkene peptide mimics that may have biological importance

A series of N-benzoyl gamma-aminobutyric hydroxamic acids were synthesized and evaluated as matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. First, we focused on chemical modification of the N-benzoyl residue. Introduction of electron-rich para-substituents was effective to increase the inhibitory activity. Especially, some of the analogs with relatively more planar N-acyl residues, such as 10 and 11, demonstrated more potent activity. Second, chemical modification of the gamma-aminobutyric hydroxamic acid moiety was carried out to optimize the three-dimensional arrangement of the two pharmacophores (hydroxamic acid and N-acyl residues). Among the tested, the gamma-aminobutyric hydroxamic acid moiety was found to be the best spacer for connecting the above-mentioned two pharmacophores. Synthesis and structure-activity relationships are discussed.