BMS-708,163 targets presenilin and lacks notch-sparing activity.

The "Notch-sparing" γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI) BMS-708,163 (Avagacestat) is currently in phase II clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease. Unlike previously failed GSIs, BMS-708,163 is considered to be a promising drug candidate because of its reported Notch-sparing activity for the inhibition of Aβ production over Notch cleavage. We now report that BMS-708,163 binds directly to the presenilin-1 N-terminal fragment and that binding can be challenged by other pan-GSIs, but not by γ-secretase modulators.

Piperidine acetic acid based γ-secretase modulators directly bind to Presenilin-1.

Aβ42 is believed to play a causative role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. γ-Secretase modulators (GSMs) are actively being pursued as potential AD therapeutics because they selectively alter the cleavage site of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to reduce the formation of Aβ42. However, the binding partner of acid based GSMs was unresolved until now.