Synthesis and SAR of a series of mGlu NAMs based on an ethyl-8-methoxy-4-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)quinoline carboxylate core.

A High-Throughput Screening (HTS) campaign identified a fundamentally new mGlu NAM chemotype, based on an ethyl-8-methoxy-4-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)quinolone carboxylate core. The initial hit, VU0226390, was a potent mGlu NAM (IC = 647 nM, 6% L-AP4 min) with selectivity versus the other group III mGlu receptors (>30 μM vs. mGlu and mGlu).

Discovery of an Orally Bioavailable and Central Nervous System (CNS) Penetrant mGlu Negative Allosteric Modulator (NAM) in Vivo Tool Compound: N-(2-(1 H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-5-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-4-(cyclopropylmethoxy)-3-methoxybenzamide (VU6012962).

Herein, we report the discovery of a new, orally bioavailable and CNS-penetrant metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGlu) negative allosteric modulator (NAM) that achieves exposure in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) 2.5× above the in vitro IC at minimum effective doses (MEDs) of 3 mg/kg in preclinical anxiety models.