4-Aminoquinoline Antimalarials Containing a Benzylmethylpyridylmethylamine Group Are Active against Drug Resistant Plasmodium falciparum and Exhibit Oral Activity in Mice.

Emergence of drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum including artemisinin-tolerant parasites highlights the need for new antimalarials. We have previously shown that dibemequines, 4-amino-7-chloroquinolines with dibenzylmethylamine (dibemethin) side chains, are efficacious. In this study, analogues in which the terminal phenyl group of the dibemethin was replaced with a 2-pyridyl group and in which the 4-amino-7-chloroquinoline was either maintained or replaced with a 4-aminoquinoline-7-carbonitrile were synthesized in an effort to improve druglikeness.

Structure-activity relationships for ferriprotoporphyrin IX association and β-hematin inhibition by 4-aminoquinolines using experimental and ab initio methods.

In order to probe structure-activity relationships of association with ferriprotoporphyrin IX (logK) and inhibition of β-hematin formation, a series of 4-aminoquinolines with varying substituents at the 7-position (X) have been synthesized. These have been further elaborated by introduction of two different R groups on the 4-amino nitrogen atom in the form of methyl (R=Me) and ethylamine (R=EtNH2) side chains. Data for a previously investigated series containing an N,N-diethyl-ethylamine side chain were also compared with the findings of this study.