Discovery of 7-azaindole derivatives as potent Orai inhibitors showing efficacy in a preclinical model of asthma.

Synthesis and SAR of a series of 7-azaindoles as Orai channel inhibitors showing good potency inhibiting IL-2 production in Jurkat cells is described. Compound 14d displaying best pharmacokinetic properties was further characterized in a model of allergen induced asthma showing inhibition in the number of eosinophils in BALF. High lipophilicity remains as one of the main challenges for this class of compounds.

Discovery of a novel class of zwitterionic, potent, selective and orally active S1P₁ direct agonists.

Amido-1,3,4-thiadiazoles have been identified as a novel structural class of potent and selective sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor subtype 1 agonists. Starting from a micromolar HTS hit with the help of an in-house homology model, robust structural-activity relationships were developed to yield compounds with good selectivity and excellent in vivo efficacy in rat models.

Novel triazolopyridylbenzamides as potent and selective p38α inhibitors.

A new class of p38α inhibitors based on a biaryl-triazolopyridine scaffold was investigated. X-ray crystallographic data of the initial lead compound cocrystallised with p38α was crucial in order to uncover a unique binding mode of the inhibitor to the hinge region via a pair of water molecules. Synthesis and SAR was directed towards the improvement of binding affinity, as well as ADME properties for this new class of p38α inhibitors and ultimately afforded compounds showing good in vivo efficacy.

1,7-Naphthyridine 1-oxides as novel potent and selective inhibitors of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase.

The design, synthesis, and ability to inhibit p38α MAP kinase by a novel series of naphthyridine N-oxides will be described. Some of these compounds showed a significant reduction in the LPS-induced TNFα production in human whole blood. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that N-oxide oxygen was essential for activity and was probably a determinant factor for its marked selectivity against other related kinases.

Indolin-2-one p38α inhibitors III: bioisosteric amide replacement.

Crystallographic structural information was used in the design and synthesis of a number of bioisosteric derivatives to replace the amide moiety in a lead series of p38α inhibitors which showed general hydrolytic instability in human liver preparations. Triazole derivative 13 was found to have moderate bioavailability in the rat and demonstrated potent in-vivo activity in an acute model of inflammation.

Indolin-2-one p38α inhibitors II: Lead optimisation.

Optimisation of a series of indolin-2-one p38α inhibitors was achieved via both blocking of a potential metabolic 'hot spot' and by increasing overall polarity of the lead series leading to non-cytotoxic compounds which showed improved oral bioavailabilities in the rat.

Indolin-2-one p38α inhibitors I: design, profiling and crystallographic binding mode.

The use of structure-based design and molecular modeling led to the discovery of indolin-2-one derivatives as potent and selective p38α inhibitors. The predicted binding mode was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

Discovery of potent and selective bicyclic A(2B) adenosine receptor antagonists via bioisosteric amide replacement.

Several new potent and selective A(2B) adenosine receptor antagonists have been prepared in which the aryl-amide moiety of the lead series, exemplified by 1a, has been replaced by bioisosteric bicyclic moieties. Although the majority of compounds had generally improved microsomal stability as compared to 1a, this was not translated into overall improvements in the pharmacokinetic profiles of a representative set of compounds.

Discovery of N-(5,6-diarylpyridin-2-yl)amide derivatives as potent and selective A(2B) adenosine receptor antagonists.

The synthesis and SAR of a series of N-(5,6-diarylpyridin-2-yl)amide derivatives as potent A(2B) adenosine receptor antagonists is described. Several compounds showed good selectivity versus other adenosine receptors. The potent and selective analogue 9 was shown to have good oral bioavailability in the rat.

Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of aminopyridine N-oxides, a novel scaffold for the potent and selective inhibition of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase.

A novel series of aminopyridine N-oxides were designed, synthesized, and tested for their ability to inhibit p38alpha MAP kinase. Some of these compounds showed a significant reduction in the LPS-induced TNFalpha production in human whole blood. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that N-oxide oxygen was essential for activity and was probably a determinant factor for a marked selectivity against other related kinases.

Discovery and characterization of 4'-(2-furyl)-N-pyridin-3-yl-4,5'-bipyrimidin-2'-amine (LAS38096), a potent, selective, and efficacious A2B adenosine receptor antagonist.

A novel series of N-heteroaryl 4'-(2-furyl)-4,5'-bipyrimidin-2'-amines has been identified as potent and selective A(2B) adenosine receptor antagonists. In particular, compound 5 showed high affinity for the A(2B) receptor (Ki = 17 nM), good selectivity (IC(50): A(1) > 1000 nM, A(2A) > 2500 nM, A3 > 1000 nM), displayed a favorable pharmacokinetic profile in preclinical species, and showed efficacy in functional in vitro models.

Pharmacological blockade of CCR1 ameliorates murine arthritis and alters cytokine networks in vivo.

Background And Purpose: The chemokine receptor CCR1 is a potential target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. To explore the impact of CCR1 blockade in experimental arthritis and the underlying mechanisms, we used J-113863, a non-peptide antagonist of the mouse receptor.

Experimental Approach: Compound J-113863 was tested in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and three models of acute inflammation; Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB)-induced interleukin-2 (IL-2), delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumour necrosis factoralpha (TNFalpha) production.

Chemokine receptors: attractive targets for drug discovery.

Studies of two antibodies, efalizumab and natalizumab, have recently demonstrated that the blockade of leukocyte migration is of therapeutic benefit for the treatment of diseases such as psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. The role of chemokines in the control of cell traffic led to their receptors being considered one of the most promising family of targets aimed at disrupting cell recruitment in chronic inflammatory processes. Choosing the appropriate chemokine receptor for each disease was not easy, and the interpretation of target validation studies proved to be extremely difficult.

Drug discovery and chemokine receptor antagonists: eppur si muove!

The blockade of leukocyte migration has been demonstrated to be a valid option for the treatment of several autoimmune diseases. Chemokines play an active role in regulating cell infiltration into inflammatory sites and disrupting chemokine-receptor interactions has emerged as an alternative therapeutic approach. Pharmaceutical companies have developed an intense activity in the drug discovery of chemokine receptor antagonists in the last 10 years.