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The purpose of this bridging phase I study was to characterize the toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor effects of a capsule formulation of DRF-1042, a novel camptothecin analog, in refractory solid tumor patients. DRF-1042 was given daily for 5 consecutive days for 2 weeks, repeated every 3 weeks at 81 mg/m(2). Adverse events were monitored following NCI-CTC. Blood samples were processed for bioanalysis using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method. The pharmacokinetics of lactone and total (lactone + carboxylate) forms was determined on days 1 and 12 using a noncompartmental pharmacokinetic method. Pharmacokinetic data with the capsule formulation were compared with previously reported pharmacokinetic parameters with a suspension formulation. Efficacy was evaluated by applying World Health Organization criteria. Six patients received 10 courses of therapy. Thrombocytopenia and diarrhea were dose-limiting toxicities. The upper limit of the area under the curve of DRF-1042 (lactone and total) with the capsule formulation was higher than a suspension formulation at a similar dose on day 1 (lactone: capsule = 8.53 microMxh, suspension = 5.33 microMxh; total: capsule = 393 microMxh, suspension = 176 microMxh) and day 12 (lactone: capsule = 22.1 microMxh, suspension = 6.1 microMxh; total: capsule = 1302 microMxh, suspension = 309 microMxh). The upper limit of the area under the curve of DRF-1042 (lactone and total) was higher under fed conditions (lactone = 15.9 microMxh, total = 605 microMxh) relative to fasted conditions (lactone = 8.53 microMxh, total = 393 microMxh) on day 1. One patient experienced stable disease. The toxicity and pharmacokinetics of the capsule correlated well with the suspension. The recommended phase II dose is 81 mg/m(2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to characterize the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicities (DLT), pharmacokinetics, and antitumor effects of DRF-1042, a novel camptothecin analog, in refractory solid tumor patients. DRF-1042 was given for 5 consecutive days for 2 weeks, repeated every 3 weeks at 1.5 to 270 mg/m(2). Adverse events were monitored following NCI-CTC. Pharmacokinetics of lactone and total forms were determined using validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and noncompartmental methods. Efficacy was evaluated applying World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The 1st course was used to determine DLT and MTD. Twenty-five patients received 73 courses of therapy. Myelosuppression and diarrhea were DLTs. MTD was 120 mg/m(2)/day. AUC increased approximately linearly with dose. The t(1/2) for lactone and total forms was 9.9 and 29 hours, respectively. AUCs correlated significantly with nadir leucopenia and grade 4 diarrhea. Two complete responses (CRs) and 2 partial responses (PRs) were observed. In addition, 4 stable diseases were observed. The recommended phase II dose is 80 mg/m(2)/day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of sucralfate pretreatment on the pharmacokinetics of rosiglitazone following a single oral dose in healthy male volunteers. After an over night fast, and according to a randomized schedule, each volunteer (n = 9) received a single oral dose of rosiglitazone 8 mg (Avandia tablets, 4 mg x 2) with or without pretreatment of sucralfate 2 g (Recolfate tablets, 1 g x 2) in an open-label crossover study with a 2-week washout period. Plasma samples were collected over a period of 24 hours at regular intervals. Safety assessment included monitoring of the vital signs, blood parameters, and ECG. No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed for any of the calculated rosiglitazone pharmacokinetic parameters in the two treatment groups. The mean parameters, AUC0-infinity and Cmax, following rosiglitazone administration alone were 3825.02 ng x h/ml and 664.47 ng/ml, respectively, and for rosiglitazone administered after pretreatment with sucralfate were 4848.19 ng x h/ml and 624.88 ng/ml, respectively. The t(max) for rosiglitazone alone and for rosiglitazone after sucralfate treatments was 1.11 and 1.67 hours, respectively. The mean elimination half-life for rosiglitazone and rosiglitazone after sucralfate treatment was 4.35 and 4.51 hours, respectively. Fraction of rosiglitazone absorbed was calculated by the Wagner-Nelson method, and no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed for the two treatments. Since sucralfate pretreatment did not show any significant difference in the pharmacokinetics of rosiglitazone, no dose adjustment is warranted for rosiglitazone when it is administered with sucralfate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aryl hydantoins were identified in the early 1980s as a promising antischistosomal chemotype. However, as exemplified by Ro 13-3978, this compound series produced antiandrogenic side effects on the host, a not unexpected outcome given their structural similarity to the antiandrogenic drug nilutamide. The two key advances in our optimization of Ro 13-3978 were swapping the aryl trifluoromethyl substituent with a difluoroethyl to abolish antiandrogenic effects and replacing the hydrogen atoms of the gem -dimethyl substructure with deuterium atoms to increase metabolic stability. Combining these two structural changes led to the discovery of single-dose drug candidate AR102, a compound with potent, selective, and broad-spectrum activity against schistosomes, a long pharmacokinetic half-life in preclinical species, and an acceptable safety profile.

We discovered medium-ring keto bislactams as a new antischistosomal chemotype. The ketone functional group and isoindolinone substructure were required for high antischistosomal activity. Aryl substitution with EWG functional groups decreased the chemical stability. These compounds were relatively polar with the measured LogD 7.4 values ranging from <0 to 2.4, had kinetic aqueous solubilities between 40 and >320 μM, and had relatively low cytotoxicities with IC 50s ranging from 52 to >390 μM. We identified two compounds with IC 50 values < 5 μM against ex vivo Schistosoma mansoni ( S. mansoni ).

Malaria remains a global health concern as drug resistance threatens treatment programs. We identified a piperidine carboxamide (SW042) with anti-malarial activity by phenotypic screening. Selection of SW042-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) parasites revealed point mutations in the Pf&#95;proteasome β5 active-site (Pfβ5). A potent analog (SW584) showed efficacy in a mouse model of human malaria after oral dosing. SW584 had a low propensity to generate resistance (minimum inoculum for resistance [MIR] >10 9 ) and was synergistic with dihydroartemisinin. Pf&#95;proteasome purification was facilitated by His 8 -tag introduction onto β7. Inhibition of Pfβ5 correlated with parasite killing, without inhibiting human proteasome isoforms or showing cytotoxicity. The Pf&#95;proteasome&#95;SW584 cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure showed that SW584 bound non-covalently distal from the catalytic threonine, in an unexplored pocket at the β5/β6/β3 subunit interface that has species differences between Pf and human proteasomes. Identification of a reversible, species selective, orally active series with low resistance propensity provides a path for drugging this essential target., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests B.L. is a Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) employee. J.M.R., S.F.C., B.L., S.G., S.A.C., and M.A.P. are inventors on a patent application covering the described compounds., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

New drugs for visceral leishmaniasis that are safe, low cost, and adapted to the field are urgently required. Despite concerted efforts over the last several years, the number of new chemical entities that are suitable for clinical development for the treatment of Leishmania remains low. Here, we describe the discovery and preclinical development of DNDI-6174, an inhibitor of Leishmania cytochrome bc 1 complex activity that originated from a phenotypically identified pyrrolopyrimidine series. This compound fulfills all target candidate profile criteria required for progression into preclinical development. In addition to good metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic properties, DNDI-6174 demonstrates potent in vitro activity against a variety of Leishmania species and can reduce parasite burden in animal models of infection, with the potential to approach sterile cure. No major flags were identified in preliminary safety studies, including an exploratory 14-day toxicology study in the rat. DNDI-6174 is a cytochrome bc 1 complex inhibitor with acceptable development properties to enter preclinical development for visceral leishmaniasis.

We discovered dibenzannulated medium-ring keto lactams (11,12-dihydro-5 H -dibenzo[ b , g ]azonine-6,13-diones) as a new antimalarial chemotype. Most of these had chromatographic LogD 7.4 values ranging from <0 to 3 and good kinetic solubilities (12.5 to >100 μg/mL at pH 6.5). The more polar compounds in the series (LogD 7.4 values of <2) had the best metabolic stability (CL int values of <50 μL/min/mg protein in human liver microsomes). Most of the compounds had relatively low cytotoxicity, with IC 50 values >30 μM, and there was no correlation between antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity. The four most potent compounds had Plasmodium falciparum IC 50 values of 4.2 to 9.4 nM and in vitro selectivity indices of 670 to >12,000. They were more than 4 orders-of-magnitude less potent against three other protozoal pathogens ( Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense , Trypanosoma cruzi , and Leishmania donovani ) but did have relatively high potency against Toxoplasma gondii , with IC 50 values ranging from 80 to 200 nM. These keto lactams are converted into their poorly soluble 4(1 H )-quinolone transannular condensation products in vitro in culture medium and in vivo in mouse blood. The similar antiplasmodial potencies of three keto lactam-quinolone pairs suggest that the quinolones likely contribute to the antimalarial activity of the lactams.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues unabated, emphasizing the need for additional antiviral treatment options to prevent hospitalization and death of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. The papain-like protease (PLpro) domain is part of the SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein (nsp)-3, and represents an essential protease and validated drug target for preventing viral replication. PLpro moonlights as a deubiquitinating (DUB) and deISGylating enzyme, enabling adaptation of a DUB high throughput (HTS) screen to identify PLpro inhibitors. Drug repurposing has been a major focus through the COVID-19 pandemic as it may provide a fast and efficient route for identifying clinic-ready, safe-in-human antivirals. We here report our effort to identify PLpro inhibitors by screening the ReFRAME library of 11,804 compounds, showing that none inhibit PLpro with any reasonable activity or specificity to justify further progression towards the clinic. We also report our latest efforts to improve piperidine-scaffold inhibitors, 5c and 3k , originally developed for SARS-CoV PLpro. We report molecular details of binding and selectivity, as well as in vitro absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) studies of this scaffold. A co-crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro bound to inhibitor 3k guides medicinal chemistry efforts to improve binding and ADME characteristics. We arrive at compounds with improved and favorable solubility and stability characteristics that are tested for inhibiting viral replication. Whilst still requiring significant improvement, our optimized small molecule inhibitors of PLpro display decent antiviral activity in an in vitro SARS-CoV-2 infection model, justifying further optimization., Competing Interests: DK serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of BioTheryX Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Calleja, Kuchel, Lu, Birkinshaw, Klemm, Doerflinger, Cooney, Mackiewicz, Au, Yap, Blackmore, Katneni, Crighton, Newman, Jarman, Call, Lechtenberg, Czabotar, Pellegrini, Charman, Lowes, Mitchell, Nachbur, Lessene and Komander.)

A phenotypic high-throughput screen allowed discovery of quinazolinone-2-carboxamide derivatives as a novel antimalarial scaffold. Structure-activity relationship studies led to identification of a potent inhibitor 19f , 95-fold more potent than the original hit compound, active against laboratory-resistant strains of malaria. Profiling of 19f suggested a fast in vitro killing profile. In vivo activity in a murine model of human malaria in a dose-dependent manner constitutes a concomitant benefit.

OZ439 is a potent synthetic ozonide evaluated for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. The metabolite profile of OZ439 was characterized in vitro using human liver microsomes combined with LC/MS-MS, chemical derivatization, and metabolite synthesis. The primary biotransformations were monohydroxylation at the three distal carbon atoms of the spiroadamantane substructure, with minor contributions from N -oxidation of the morpholine nitrogen and deethylation cleavage of the morpholine ring. Secondary transformations resulted in the formation of dihydroxylation metabolites and metabolites containing both monohydroxylation and morpholine N -oxidation. With the exception of two minor metabolites, none of the other metabolites had appreciable antimalarial activity. Reaction phenotyping indicated that CYP3A4 is the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of OZ439, and it was found to inhibit CYP3A via both direct and mechanism-based inhibition. Elucidation of the metabolic pathways and kinetics will assist with efforts to predict potential metabolic drug-drug interactions and support physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling.

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) has been clinically validated as a target for the development of new antimalarials. Experience with clinical candidate triazolopyrimidine DSM265 ( 1 ) suggested that DHODH inhibitors have great potential for use in prophylaxis, which represents an unmet need in the malaria drug discovery portfolio for endemic countries, particularly in areas of high transmission in Africa. We describe a structure-based computationally driven lead optimization program of a pyrrole-based series of DHODH inhibitors, leading to the discovery of two candidates for potential advancement to preclinical development. These compounds have improved physicochemical properties over prior series frontrunners and they show no time-dependent CYP inhibition, characteristic of earlier compounds. Frontrunners have potent antimalarial activity in vitro against blood and liver schizont stages and show good efficacy in Plasmodium falciparum SCID mouse models. They are equally active against P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax field isolates and are selective for Plasmodium DHODHs versus mammalian enzymes.

The K + -sparing diuretic amiloride elicits anticancer activities in multiple animal models. During our recent medicinal chemistry campaign aiming to identify amiloride analogs with improved properties for potential use in cancer, we discovered novel 6-(hetero)aryl-substituted amiloride and 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)amiloride (HMA) analogs with up to 100-fold higher potencies than the parent compounds against urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), one of amiloride's putative anticancer targets, and no diuretic or antikaliuretic effects. Here, we report the systematic evaluation of structure-property relationships (lipophilicity, aqueous solubility and in vitro metabolic stability in human and mouse liver microsomes) in twelve matched pair analogs selected from our 6-substituted amiloride and HMA libraries. Mouse plasma stability, plasma protein binding, Caco-2 cell permeability, cardiac ion channel activity and pharmacokinetics in mice (PO and IV) and rats (IV) are described alongside amiloride and HMA comparators for a subset of the four most promising matched-pair analogs. The findings combined with earlier uPA activity/selectivity and other data ultimately drove selection of two analogs (AA1-39 and AA1-41) that showed efficacy in separate mouse cancer metastasis studies., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The intestinal lymphatic system transports fluid, immune cells, dietary lipids, and highly lipophilic drugs from the intestine to the systemic circulation. These transport functions are important to health and when dysregulated contribute to pathology. This has generated significant interest in approaches to deliver drugs to the lymphatics. Most of the current understanding of intestinal lymph flow, and lymphatic lipid and drug transport rates, comes from in vitro studies and in vivo animal studies. In contrast, intestinal lymphatic transport studies in human subjects have been limited. Recently, three surgical patients had cannulation of the thoracic lymph duct for collection of lymph before and during a stepwise increase in enteral feed rate. We compared these data to studies where we previously enterally administered controlled quantities of lipid and the lipophilic drug halofantrine to mice, rats and dogs and collected lymph and blood (plasma). The collected lymph was analyzed to compare lymph flow rate, triglyceride (TG) and drug transport rates, and plasma was analyzed for drug concentrations, as a function of enteral lipid dose across species. Lymph flow rate, TG and drug transport increased with lipid administration in all species tested, and scaled allometrically according to the equation A = a M E where A is the lymph transport parameter, M is animal body mass, a is constant and E is the allometric exponent. For lymph flow rate and TG transport, the allometric exponents were 0.84-0.94 and 0.80-0.96, respectively. Accordingly, weight normalized lymph flow and TG mass transport were generally lower in larger compared to smaller species. In comparison, mass transport of drug via lymph increased in a greater than proportional manner with species body mass with an exponent of ∼1.3. The supra-proportional increase in lymphatic drug transport with species body mass appeared to be due to increased partitioning of drug into lymph rather than blood following absorption. Overall, this study proposes that intestinal lymphatic flow, and lymphatic lipid and drug transport in humans is most similar to species with higher body mass such as dogs and underestimated by studies in rodents. Notably, lymph flow and lipid transport in humans can be predicted from animal data via allometric scaling suggesting the potential for similar relationships with drug transport., (Copyright © 2020 Trevaskis, Lee, Escott, Phang, Hong, Cao, Katneni, Charman, Han, Charman, Phillips, Windsor and Porter.)

Malaria puts at risk nearly half the world's population and causes high mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, while drug resistance threatens current therapies. The pyrimidine biosynthetic enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a validated target for malaria treatment based on our finding that triazolopyrimidine DSM265 ( 1 ) showed efficacy in clinical studies. Herein, we describe optimization of a pyrrole-based series identified using a target-based DHODH screen. Compounds with nanomolar potency versus Plasmodium DHODH and Plasmodium parasites were identified with good pharmacological properties. X-ray studies showed that the pyrroles bind an alternative enzyme conformation from 1 leading to improved species selectivity versus mammalian enzymes and equivalent activity on Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax DHODH. The best lead DSM502 ( 37 ) showed in vivo efficacy at similar levels of blood exposure to 1 , although metabolic stability was reduced. Overall, the pyrrole-based DHODH inhibitors provide an attractive alternative scaffold for the development of new antimalarial compounds.

A high-throughput screen designed to discover new inhibitors of histone acetyltransferase KAT6A uncovered CTX-0124143 ( 1 ), a unique aryl acylsulfonohydrazide with an IC 50 of 1.0 μM. Using this acylsulfonohydrazide as a template, we herein disclose the results of our extensive structure-activity relationship investigations, which resulted in the discovery of advanced compounds such as 55 and 80 . These two compounds represent significant improvements on our recently reported prototypical lead WM-8014 ( 3 ) as they are not only equivalently potent as inhibitors of KAT6A but are less lipophilic and significantly more stable to microsomal degradation. Furthermore, during this process, we discovered a distinct structural subclass that contains key 2-fluorobenzenesulfonyl and phenylpyridine motifs, culminating in the discovery of WM-1119 ( 4 ). This compound is a highly potent KAT6A inhibitor (IC 50 = 6.3 nM; K D = 0.002 μM), competes with Ac-CoA by binding to the Ac-CoA binding site, and has an oral bioavailability of 56% in rats.

Background: Modelling and simulation are being increasingly utilized to support the discovery and development of new anti-malarial drugs. These approaches require reliable in vitro data for physicochemical properties, permeability, binding, intrinsic clearance and cytochrome P450 inhibition. This work was conducted to generate an in vitro data toolbox using standardized methods for a set of 45 anti-malarial drugs and to assess changes in physicochemical properties in relation to changing target product and candidate profiles., Methods: Ionization constants were determined by potentiometric titration and partition coefficients were measured using a shake-flask method. Solubility was assessed in biorelevant media and permeability coefficients and efflux ratios were determined using Caco-2 cell monolayers. Binding to plasma and media proteins was measured using either ultracentrifugation or rapid equilibrium dialysis. Metabolic stability and cytochrome P450 inhibition were assessed using human liver microsomes. Sample analysis was conducted by LC-MS/MS., Results: Both solubility and fraction unbound decreased, and permeability and unbound intrinsic clearance increased, with increasing Log D 7.4 . In general, development compounds were somewhat more lipophilic than legacy drugs. For many compounds, permeability and protein binding were challenging to assess and both required the use of experimental conditions that minimized the impact of non-specific binding. Intrinsic clearance in human liver microsomes was varied across the data set and several compounds exhibited no measurable substrate loss under the conditions used. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes was minimal for most compounds., Conclusions: This is the first data set to describe in vitro properties for 45 legacy and development anti-malarial drugs. The studies identified several practical methodological issues common to many of the more lipophilic compounds and highlighted areas which require more work to customize experimental conditions for compounds being designed to meet the new target product profiles. The dataset will be a valuable tool for malaria researchers aiming to develop PBPK models for the prediction of human PK properties and/or drug-drug interactions. Furthermore, generation of this comprehensive data set within a single laboratory allows direct comparison of properties across a large dataset and evaluation of changing property trends that have occurred over time with changing target product and candidate profiles.

A high-throughput screen for inhibitors of the histone acetyltransferase, KAT6A, led to identification of an aryl sulfonohydrazide derivative (CTX-0124143) that inhibited KAT6A with an IC 50 of 1.0 μM. Elaboration of the structure-activity relationship and medicinal chemistry optimization led to the discovery of WM-8014 ( 97 ), a highly potent inhibitor of KAT6A (IC 50 = 0.008 μM). WM-8014 competes with acetyl-CoA (Ac-CoA), and X-ray crystallographic analysis demonstrated binding to the Ac-CoA binding site. Through inhibition of KAT6A activity, WM-8014 induces cellular senescence and represents a unique pharmacological tool.

Purpose: To examine the utility of human plasma as an assay medium in Caco-2 permeability studies to overcome poor mass balance and inadequate sink conditions frequently encountered with lipophilic compounds., Methods: Caco-2 permeability was assessed for reference compounds with known transport mechanisms using either pH 7.4 buffer or human plasma as the assay medium in both the apical and basolateral chambers. When using plasma, P app values were corrected for the unbound fraction in the donor chamber. The utility of the approach was assessed by measuring the permeability of selected antimalarial compounds using the two assay media., Results: Caco-2 cell monolayer integrity and P-gp transporter function were unaffected by the presence of human plasma in the donor and acceptor chambers. For many of the reference compounds having good mass balance with buffer as the medium, higher P app values were observed with plasma, likely due to improved acceptor sink conditions. The lipophilic antimalarial compounds exhibited low mass balance with buffer, however the use of plasma markedly improved mass balance allowing the determination of more reliable P app values., Conclusions: The results support the utility of human plasma as an alternate Caco-2 assay medium to improve mass balance and permeability measurements for lipophilic compounds.

With ∼429,000 deaths in 2016, malaria remains a major infectious disease where the need to treat the fever symptoms, but also to provide relevant post-treatment prophylaxis, is of major importance. An azepanylcarbazole amino alcohol is disclosed with a long- and fast-acting in vivo antiplasmodial efficacy and meets numerous attributes of a desired post-treatment chemoprophylactic antimalarial agent. The synthesis, the parasitological characterization, and the animal pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of this compound are presented along with a proposed target., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

We present a series of oxadiazolothiazinones, selective inotropic agents on isolated cardiac tissues, devoid of chronotropy and vasorelaxant activity. Functional and binding data for the precursor of the series (compound 1) let us hypothesize LTCC blocking activity and the existence of a recognition site specific for this scaffold. We synthesized and tested 22 new derivatives: introducing a para-methoxyphenyl at C-8 led to compound 12 (EC50 = 0.022 μM), twice as potent as its para-bromo analogue (1). For 10 analogues, we extended the characterization of the biological properties by including the assessment of metabolic stability in human liver microsomes and cytochrome P450 inhibition potential. We observed that the methoxy group led to active compounds with low metabolic stability and high CYP inhibition, whereas the protective effect of bromine resulted in enhanced metabolic stability and reduced CYP inhibition. Thus, we identified two para-bromo benzothiazino-analogues as candidates for further studies.

Peroxidic antimalarial agents including the sequiterpene artemisinins and the synthetic 1,2,4-trioxolanes function via initial intraparasitic reduction of an endoperoxide bond. By chemically coupling this reduction to release of a tethered drug species it is possible to confer two distinct pharmacological effects in a parasite-selective fashion, both in vitro and in vivo. Here we demonstrate the trioxolane-mediated delivery of the antimalarial agent mefloquine in a mouse malaria model. Selective partitioning of the trioxolane-mefloquine conjugate in parasitized erythrocytes, combined with effective exclusion of the conjugate from brain significantly reduced brain exposure as compared to mice directly administered mefloquine. These studies suggest the potential of trioxolane-mediated drug delivery to mitigate off-target effects of existing drugs, including the adverse neuropsychiatric effects of mefloquine use in therapeutic and chemoprophylactic settings.

The historical antimalarial compound endochin served as a structural lead for optimization. Endochin-like quinolones (ELQ) were prepared by a novel chemical route and assessed for in vitro activity against multidrug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum and against malaria infections in mice. Here we describe the pathway to discovery of a potent class of orally active antimalarial 4(1H)-quinolone-3-diarylethers. The initial prototype, ELQ-233, exhibited low nanomolar IC50 values against all tested strains including clinical isolates harboring resistance to atovaquone. ELQ-271 represented the next critical step in the iterative optimization process, as it was stable to metabolism and highly effective in vivo. Continued analoging revealed that the substitution pattern on the benzenoid ring of the quinolone core significantly influenced reactivity with the host enzyme. This finding led to the rational design of highly selective ELQs with outstanding oral efficacy against murine malaria that is superior to established antimalarials chloroquine and atovaquone.

The selective inhibition of cancer-associated human carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzymes, specifically CA IX and XII, has been validated as a mechanistically novel approach toward personalized cancer management. Herein we report the design and synthesis of a panel of 24 novel glycoconjugate primary sulfonamides that bind to the extracellular catalytic domain of CA IX and XII. These compounds were synthesized from variably acylated glycopyranosyl azides and either 3- or 4-ethynyl benzene sulfonamide using Cu(I)-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). The CA enzyme inhibition profile for all compounds was determined, while in vitro metabolic stability, plasma stability, and plasma protein binding for a representative set of compounds was measured. Our findings demonstrate the influence of the differing acyl groups on these key biopharmaceutical properties, confirming that acyl group protected carbohydrate-based sulfonamides have potential as prodrugs for selectively targeting the extracellular cancer-associated CA enzymes.

In the pursuit of new antimalarial leads, a phenotypic screening of various commercially sourced compound libraries was undertaken by the World Health Organisation Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR). We report here the detailed characterization of one of the hits from this process, TDR32750 (8a), which showed potent activity against Plasmodium falciparum K1 (EC(50) ~ 9 nM), good selectivity (>2000-fold) compared to a mammalian cell line (L6), and significant activity against a rodent model of malaria when administered intraperitoneally. Structure-activity relationship studies have indicated ways in which the molecule could be optimized. This compound represents an exciting start point for a drug discovery program for the development of a novel antimalarial.

To ascertain the structure-activity relationship of the core 1,2,4-trioxolane substructure of dispiro ozonides OZ277 and OZ439, we compared the antimalarial activities and ADME profiles of the 1,2-dioxolane, 1,2,4-trioxane, and 1,2,4,5-tetraoxane isosteres. Consistent with previous data, both dioxolanes had very weak antimalarial properties. For the OZ277 series, the trioxane isostere had the best ADME profile, but its overall antimalarial efficacy was not superior to that of the trioxolane or tetraoxane isosteres. For the OZ439 series, there was a good correlation between the antimalarial efficacy and ADME profiles in the rank order trioxolane > trioxane > tetraoxane. As we have previously observed for OZ439 versus OZ277, the OZ439 series peroxides had superior exposure and efficacy in mice compared to the corresponding OZ277 series peroxides.

A series of novel glycopyranosyl azides were synthesised wherein the carbohydrate moiety was peracylated with four acetyl, propionyl, butanoyl, pentanoyl (valeryl) or 3-methylbutanoyl (isovaleryl) ester linked groups. A panel of glycoconjugates was synthesised from these glycopyranosyl azides using copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The in vitro metabolic stability, plasma stability and plasma protein binding was then measured to establish the impact of the different acyl group when presented on a common scaffold. The acetyl, propionyl and butanoyl esters exhibited metabolism consistent with esterase processing, and various mono-, di- and tri-acylated hydrolysis products as well as the fully hydrolysed compound were detected. In contrast, the pentanoyl and 3-methylbutanoyl esters were stable., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In an effort to address potential cardiotoxicity liabilities identified with earlier frontrunner compounds, a number of new 3,5-diaryl-2-aminopyridine derivatives were synthesized. Several compounds exhibited potent antiplasmodial activity against both the multidrug resistant (K1) and sensitive (NF54) strains in the low nanomolar range. Some compounds displayed a significant reduction in potency in the hERG channel inhibition assay compared to previously reported frontrunner analogues. Several of these new analogues demonstrated promising in vivo efficacy in the Plasmodium berghei mouse model and will be further evaluated as potential clinical candidates. The SAR for in vitro antiplasmodial and hERG activity was delineated.

Toxoplasma gondii is a widely distributed protozoan pathogen that causes devastating ocular and central nervous system disease. We show that the endochin-like quinolone (ELQ) class of compounds contains extremely potent inhibitors of T. gondii growth in vitro and is effective against acute and latent toxoplasmosis in mice. We screened 50 ELQs against T. gondii and selected two lead compounds, ELQ-271 and ELQ-316, for evaluation. ELQ-271 and ELQ-316, have in vitro IC(50) values of 0.1 nM and 0.007 nM, respectively. ELQ-271 and ELQ-316 have ED(50) values of 0.14 mg/kg and 0.08 mg/kg when administered orally to mice with acute toxoplasmosis. Moreover, ELQ-271 and ELQ-316 are highly active against the cyst form of T. gondii in mice at low doses, reducing cyst burden by 76-88% after 16 d of treatment. To investigate the ELQ mechanism of action against T. gondii, we demonstrate that endochin and ELQ-271 inhibit cytochrome c reduction by the T. gondii cytochrome bc(1) complex at 8 nM and 31 nM, respectively. We also show that ELQ-271 inhibits the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytochrome bc(1) complex, and an M221Q amino acid substitution in the Q(i) site of the protein leads to >100-fold resistance. We conclude that ELQ-271 and ELQ-316 are orally bioavailable drugs that are effective against acute and latent toxoplasmosis, likely acting as inhibitors of the Q(i) site of the T. gondii cytochrome bc(1) complex.

A novel class of orally active antimalarial 3,5-diaryl-2-aminopyridines has been identified from phenotypic whole cell high-throughput screening of a commercially available SoftFocus kinase library. The compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antiplasmodial activity against K1 (chloroquine and drug-resistant strain) and NF54 (chloroquine-susceptible strain) as well as for their cytotoxicity. Synthesis and structure-activity studies identified a number of promising compounds with selective antiplasmodial activity. One of these frontrunner compounds, 15, was equipotent across the two strains (K1 = 25.0 nM, NF54 = 28.0 nM) and superior to chloroquine in the K1 strain (chloroquine IC(50) K1 = 194.0 nM). Compound 15 completely cured Plasmodium berghei-infected mice with a single oral dose of 30 mg/kg. Dose-response studies generated ED(50) and ED(90) values of 0.83 and 1.74 mg/kg for 15 in the standard four-dose Peters test. Pharmacokinetic studies in the rat indicated that this compound has good oral bioavailability (51% at 20 mg/kg) and a reasonable half-life (t(1/2) ∼ 7-8 h)., (© 2012 American Chemical Society)

Drug therapy is the mainstay of antimalarial therapy, yet current drugs are threatened by the development of resistance. In an effort to identify new potential antimalarials, we have undertaken a lead optimization program around our previously identified triazolopyrimidine-based series of Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH) inhibitors. The X-ray structure of PfDHODH was used to inform the medicinal chemistry program allowing the identification of a potent and selective inhibitor (DSM265) that acts through DHODH inhibition to kill both sensitive and drug resistant strains of the parasite. This compound has similar potency to chloroquine in the humanized SCID mouse P. falciparum model, can be synthesized by a simple route, and rodent pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated it has excellent oral bioavailability, a long half-life and low clearance. These studies have identified the first candidate in the triazolopyrimidine series to meet previously established progression criteria for efficacy and ADME properties, justifying further development of this compound toward clinical candidate status.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin ((SBE)(7 m)-β-CD; Captisol(®)) on the in vivo pharmacokinetics of melphalan in rats. Melphalan is a chemically unstable antineoplastic drug which in the current commercial formulation (Alkeran(®) for Injection) has some limitations with regard to solubility, stability and biocompatibility. Melphalan formulations containing (SBE)(7 m)-β-CD have previously been evaluated in vitro and shown to significantly reduce the rate of degradation and to simplify the reconstitution procedure for lyophilised melphalan. In this study, melphalan was administered intravenously in rats in formulations that either contain (SBE)(7 m)-β-CD or a co-solvent system (i.e. the commercial formulation). Pharmacokinetic parameters, including half-life, volume of distribution, clearance and extent of renal elimination of melphalan were essentially unchanged between the two formulations. These findings indicate that the pharmacokinetics of melphalan are not altered in the presence of (SBE)(7 m)-β-CD consistent with a rapid shift in the equilibrium to the fully dissociated drug from the fraction associated with the cyclodextrin host molecule upon intravenous administration., (Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

We report on the discovery of 3-alkylthio-1,2,4-triazine dimers that are potently toxic to Plasmodium falciparum, with single digit nanomolar activity, and up to several thousand-fold lower toxicity to mammalian cells. They are equipotent against chloroquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chlorpromazine is an antipsychotic agent with poor aqueous solubility. Complexation with SBE(7)-beta-CD can aid intravenous delivery through increasing the apparent solubility of chlorpromazine. However, chlorpromazine has also been known to self-associate. This self-association can influence its capacity to interact with other chemical species, such as cyclodextrins. This study aimed to characterise the self-association and cyclodextrin binding properties of chlorpromazine, and the effect on pharmacokinetic parameters in rats when dosed with a SBE(7)-beta-CD containing formulation. Pharmacokinetic studies of chlorpromazine in the presence and absence of SBE(7)-beta-CD were undertaken in rats. The binding constant of SBE(7)-beta-CD and chlorpromazine was studied relative to chlorpromazine concentration via fluorescence. The self-association of chlorpromazine was studied by fluorescence and UV-visible spectrophotometry. Urinary excretion of intact chlorpromazine increased in the presence of SBE(7)-beta-CD. The SBE(7)-beta-CD binding constant of chlorpromazine is highly concentration dependent and the variation can be attributed to the self-association of chlorpromazine. The apparent binding constant of chlorpromazine is highest at pharmacologically relevant concentrations, providing an explanation for the significant increase in renal chlorpromazine excretion observed in rats., ((c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association)

With the discovery of novel therapeutic targets within the central nervous system (CNS), there has been a significant effort to synthesize a multitude of drug molecules with increasing potency and selectivity. However, the impact of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in limiting effective concentrations of drug candidate from reaching the brain parenchyma is often ignored, resulting in a lack of efficacy when administered to animal models or humans. Intercellular drug transport across the BBB is negligible due to the impermeable tight junctions formed by interconnecting endothelial cells. Furthermore, drug permeability via the transcellular route cannot be assumed for all molecules due to the high expression of drug efflux transport proteins, which effectively extrude compounds from the brain endothelial cell back into the cerebral vasculature. In addition to the extensively-studied P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1), the brain endothelial cells also express multidrug resistance associated proteins (MRP, ABCC) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2), amongst other efflux transporters. While more research has focussed on the impact of P-gp and MRP on drug transport across the BBB, the role of ABCG2 in limiting exposure of drug molecules to the CNS is now becoming more clearly understood. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to summarise the findings of the various studies assessing the expression profile of ABCG2 at the BBB, to provide an overview on the current research being undertaken to identify specific ABCG2 inhibitors with therapeutic benefit, and to critically assess the functional role of ABCG2 on drug transport across the BBB.

The roles of the unstirred water layer (UWL) and receptor sink on the in-vitro transmembrane permeability of an increasingly lipophilic series of compounds (mannitol (MAN), diazepam (DIA) and cinnarizine (CIN)) have been assessed. Altered carbogen bubbling rates were used as a means to change the UWL thickness and polysorbate-80 (PS-80), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) were employed to alter sink conditions. After correction for solubilisation, Papp data for MAN, DIA and CIN were consistent across varying donor PS-80 concentrations suggesting that for the drugs examined here, the donor UWL did not limit in-vitro permeability. Similarly, altered bubbling rates and receptor sink conditions had no impact on the permeability of MAN. In contrast, decreasing the size of the receptor UWL or adding solubilising agents to the receptor sink resulted in modest enhancements to the permeability of the more lipophilic probe DIA. For the most lipophilic compound, CIN, very significant changes to measured permeability (>30 fold) were possible, but were most evident only after concomitant changes to both the UWL and sink conditions, suggesting that the effectiveness of enhanced sink conditions were dependent on a decrease in the width of the UWL.

The plasma pharmacokinetics and brain uptake of the novel neuroprotective agent AM-36 (1-(2-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-hydroxy)ethyl-4-(3,5-bis-(1,1dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl) methylpiperazine) were assessed over 72 h following i.v. administration to male Sprague-Dawley rats. At nominal i.v. doses of 0.2, 1 and 3mg kg(-1), AM-36 exhibited an extremely large volume of distribution (18.2-24.6 L kg(-1)) and a long terminal elimination half-life, ranging from 25.2 to 37.7 h. Over this dose range, AM-36 exhibited linear pharmacokinetics, with no apparent change in clearance, volume of distribution or dose-normalised area under the plasma concentration - time curve. AM-36 was very highly bound to plasma proteins (> 99.6%); however, this did not appear to affect the ability of AM-36 to permeate the blood-brain barrier. Following a single i.v. dose of AM-36 at 3mg kg(-1) to rats, brain concentrations were detected for up to 72 h, and the brain-to-plasma ratios were high at all time points (ranging from 8.2 at 5 min post-dose to 0.9 at 72 h post-dose). The very high brain uptake of AM-36 supports previous in-vivo efficacy studies demonstrating the neuroprotective effects of this compound when administered to rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the applicability of the reciprocal permeability approach to correct for changes in thermodynamic activity when in vitro permeability data are generated in the presence of plasma proteins. Diazepam (DIA), digoxin (DIG), and propranolol (PRO) permeability was assessed in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG). The reciprocal permeability approach was subsequently employed to calculate the true permeability coefficient (Papp(corr)) and the operational protein association constant (nK(a)). For BSA binding, good agreement was observed between the Papp(corr) values and Papp values obtained in the absence of protein. For PRO and AAG, where binding affinity was high, deviation in the reciprocal permeability plots was evident suggesting ligand depletion at low drug/high protein concentrations. Bidirectional DIG permeability data in the presence of either BSA or AAG indicated that neither protein had an effect on the efflux transporters involved in DIG permeability. The data suggest that plasma proteins can be utilized in permeability experiments with no adverse effects on transporter function and that the reciprocal permeability approach can be used to correct permeability data for changes in unbound drug concentration., (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The effect of Cremophor-EL (Cr-EL) and polysorbate-80 (PS-80) on the transepithelial permeability of digoxin (DIG) has been evaluated using the reciprocal permeability approach to delineate thermodynamic and transporter related events. Permeability data were corrected for solubilization using the micellar association constant (Ka) obtained from Papp data generated in the presence of the nonspecific ATPase inhibitor sodium orthovanadate. In the presence of mucosal Cr-EL, a concentration dependent decrease in serosal-mucosal (S-M) and increase in M-S transport was observed. Whilst serosal Cr-EL resulted in a reduction in S-M DIG transport, no impact on M-S transport was apparent. For PS-80, the presence of either serosal or mucosal surfactant led to a decrease in secretory (S-M) DIG transport, however no effect on absorptive transport was evident. The data confirm the potential P-gp inhibitory effects of Cr-EL, but suggest that in contrast to Cr-EL, PS-80 is not a potent inhibitor of P-gp and is incapable of increasing absorptive drug transport, at least in excised rat intestinal tissue and at the concentrations tested. The data are also consistent with the involvement of additional transporters (both apical and basolateral) in the intestinal permeability of DIG, although more definitive data is required to confirm this possibility., (Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The objective of this study was to develop a general method to assess the intestinal permeability of poorly water-soluble drugs where low-aqueous drug solubility requires conduct of experiments under solubilizing experimental conditions. The permeability (Papp) of diazepam (DIA) was assessed across excised rat jejunum in the absence (Pappcontrol) and presence (Pappuncorr) of polysorbate-80 (PS-80). The micellar association constant (Ka) of DIA, estimated via equilibrium solubility studies, was used to correct Pappuncorr data and obtain an estimate of the true permeability coefficient (Pappcorr). An alternate approach was also developed (the reciprocal permeability approach) to allow direct estimation of Pappcorr without the need for independent estimation of Ka. The approach was further examined experimentally using a range of model drugs. DIA Pappcorr values obtained using the Ka from equilibrium solubility studies deviated from Papp(control) values, especially at PS-80 concentrations above 0.1% w/v. In contrast, data obtained using the reciprocal permeability method were consistent with Pappcontrol across the PS-80 concentration range. Similar trends were observed with propranolol (PRO), antipyrine (ANT), naproxen (NAP), and cinnarizine (CIN). The reciprocal permeability approach therefore provides a simple and accurate method by which the permeability of poorly water-soluble compounds may be estimated under solubilizing conditions., (Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association)

A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed and validated for the determination of DRF-1042, a novel orally active camptothecin (CPT) analog, in human plasma. The sample preparation was a simple deproteinization with acidified methanol yielding almost 100% recovery of DRF-1042. An isocratic reverse-phase HPLC separation was developed on a Supelcosil-LC318 column (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) with mobile phase consisting of 1% v/v triethylamine acetate, pH 5.5 and acetonitrile (80:20, v/v) at a fl ow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The eluate was monitored with a fluorescence detector set at excitation and emission wavelengths of 370 and 430 nm, respectively. The standard curves were linear (r(2) > 0.999) in the concentration ranges 5.0-2004 ng/mL. The lower limit of quantification (LLQ) of the assay was 5 ng/mL. The mean measured quality control (QC) concentrations (range 5 ng/mL to 40 microg/mL) deviated from the nominal concentrations in the range of -10.5-0.08 and -14.5-7.97%, inter- and intra-day, respectively. The inter- and intra-day precisions in the measurement of QC samples at four tested concentrations, were in the range 0.64-5.89% relative standard deviation (RSD) and 0.33-14.7% RSD, respectively. The method was found to be suitable for measurement of plasma concentrations above the calibration curve after serial dilutions. Stability of DRF-1042 was confirmed in a battery of studies, viz., on bench-top, in the auto-sampler, in the stock solutions, after four quick freeze-thaw cycles, up to one month at -20 degree C in human plasma and up to 2 months in the ex vivo samples. The method is simple, sensitive and reliable and has been successfully implemented to investigate the clinical pharmacokinetics of DRF-1042 in cancer patients in a phase I clinical trial., (Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This study demonstrates the utility of an in vitro - in vivo correlative approach in the selection and optimization of a prodrug candidate of celecoxib (CBX), a COX(2) inhibitor. As an initial screening step, a comparative single oral dose pharmacokinetic study was conducted in rats for CBX and its three aliphatic acyl water-soluble prodrugs viz., CBX-acetyl (CBX-AC), CBX-propionyl (CBX-PR) and CBX-butyryl (CBX-BU) at high equimolar dose, 100 mg/kg. Only CBX-BU and CBX-PR converted rapidly to CBX and yielded approximately five-fold greater systemic exposure of CBX than CBX alone or CBX-AC. Rank order of systemic exposure of prodrugs in its intact form was CBX-AC >CBX-PR >CBX-BU. Further in vitro hydrolysis studies of CBX prodrugs in intestinal mucosal suspensions and liver homogenates indicated that CBX-BU is rapidly and completely converted to CBX, whereas CBX-PR and CBX-AC require longer incubation period for complete conversion to CBX. There was a very good correlation of the in vitro and in vivo data supporting CBX-BU as the prodrug of choice. Further in vitro pharmacological studies showed that COX(2) selective inhibition is improved for CBX-BU as compared to CBX-AC and CBX-PR. Dose proportionality in pharmacokinetic studies of CBX-BU and CBX at equimolar oral doses confirmed that relative oral bioavailability of CBX was improved following CBX-BU administration and there was linearity in pharmacokinetics of CBX over a wide dose range (10-100 mg/kg), whereas CBX in its conventional form showed poor bioavailability and lack of dose linearity in pharmacokinetics. The oral bioavailability of CBX from CBX-BU was dose independent and was in the range 78-96%. At a 50% reduced molar dose, CBX-BU showed an equivalent efficacy to that of CBX in the in vivo carrageenan model. Based on the study, water-soluble CBX-BU prodrug can be considered for clinical development in view of its potential advantages., (Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Pharmacokinetics of PAT-5A (a new thiazolidinedione derivative), a potent insulin sensitizing and lipid-lowering compound was studied in rats. A single dose of 3, 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg PAT-5A was given orally to Wistar rats for investigating the dose linearity in pharmacokinetics. In another study, a single intravenous bolus dose of PAT-5A was given to rats at 10 mg/kg dose following administration through the tail vein in order to obtain the absolute oral bioavailability and clearance parameters. Blood samples were drawn at predetermined intervals and concentration of PAT-5A in plasma was determined by a validated HPLC method. Plasma concentration versus time data was generated following oral and i.v. dosing and subjected to noncompartment pharmacokinetic analysis to obtain the values for the parameters. Both Cmax and AUC0-infinity appeared to increase proportionally to the administered oral doses. While the doses increased in the ratio of 1.0:3.3:10.0:33.3, the mean Cmax and AUC0-infinity increased in the ratio of 1.0:3.3:8.0:16.7 and 1:4.4:12.0:32.1, respectively. The systemic clearance and volume of distribution of PAT-5A in rats were 83.1 mL/h and 177.1 mL respectively after i.v. administration. Plasma concentrations declined monoexponentially following oral as well as intravenous administration and terminal half-life was about 1.4 h. There was no significant change in half-life with increase in oral doses. Absolute oral bioavailability of PAT-5A across the doses tested was in the range of 73-100% and this indicates that PAT-5A is neither a candidate for pre-systemic metabolism nor prone to absorption-related issues.

Rosiglitazone (CAS 155141-29-0, Avandia) is a novel insulin sensitizer used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. A sensitive high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for its determination in human plasma using fluorescence detection (excitation: 247 nm, emission: 367 nm) with a suitable internal standard (I. S.) is described. Ethyl acetate was used as extraction solvent. A mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer, acetonitrile and methanol was used at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min on a C18 column. The absolute recovery was > 90% and the lower limit of quantitation was 5 ng/ml. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations ranged from 0.58-6.69% and 0.82-6.63%, respectively. The method described is simple, economical, precise and accurate and has been successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic study conducted in healthy human volunteers.

A high performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of PAT-5A (a potent insulin sensitizer) using DRF-2095 (a thiazolidinedione) as internal standard (I.S.) is described. A 1:1 v/v ethylacetate and dichloromethane solvent mixture was used for extraction of PAT-5A from plasma. A Kromasil KR100-5C18-250A, 5 microm, 4.6 x 250 mm SS column was used for the analysis. Mobile phase consisting of sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 4.0, 0.05 M) and methanol mixture (25:75, v/v) was used at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The eluate was monitored using a UV detector set at 345 nm. Ratio of peak area of analyte to I.S. was used for quantification of plasma samples. Using this method the absolute recovery of PAT-5A from rat plasma was > 90% and the limit of quantification was 0.05 microg/ml. The intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 2.19 to 4.98% at 1.0 microg/ml, 1.05 to 3.68% at 10.0 microg/ml and 3.14 to 5.08% at 50 microg/ml. The inter-day RSD were 1.6, 2.24 and 1.54% at 1, 10 and 50 microg/ml, respectively. The method was applied to measure the plasma concentrations of PAT-5A in pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies in male Wistar rats.

The pharmacokinetics of the new insulin sensitizing agent, DRF-2189 ([5-[4-[2-(1-indolyl) ethoxy]phenyl]methyl]thiazolidine-2,4-dione, CAS 172647-53-9) were studied in male Wistar rats following oral doses of 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg as suspension in 0.25% carboxymethylcellulose. Drug was extracted from plasma samples using a solvent mixture containing ethylacetate and dichloromethane (3:2) and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. DRF-2189 was absorbed slowly, attaining maximum levels at 2-3 h, and was eliminated with a half-life (t1/2) of about 3 h. The Cmax and AUC(0-infinity) increased linearly (r2 = 0.99) with the dose, while the elimination half-life (t1/2) was independent of the dose. An intravenous pharmacokinetic study of DRF-2189 was carried out in Wistar rats at a dose of 3.0 mg/kg. The pharmacokinetic parameters AUC(0-infinity), t1/2, plasma clearance (Cl) and volume of distribution (Vd) were found to be 49.52 micrograms x h/ml, 2.99 h, 16.31 ml/h and 45.11 ml. respectively. Oral bioavailability (f) of DRF-2189 in Wistar rats was 44%. Based on pharmacokinetic studies, DRF-2189 is a good choice for further development.