Optimization of Novel Indole-2-carboxamide Inhibitors of Neurotropic Alphavirus Replication
作者:Janice A. Sindac、Scott J. Barraza、Craig J. Dobry、Jianming Xiang、Pennelope K. Blakely、David N. Irani、Richard F. Keep、David J. Miller、Scott D. Larsen
DOI:10.1021/jm401330r
日期:2013.11.27
Neurotropic alphaviruses, which include western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) and Fort Morgan virus, are mosquito-borne pathogens that infect the central nervous system causing acute and potentially fatal encephalitis. We previously reported a novel series of indole-2-carboxamides as alphavirus replication inhibitors, one of which conferred protection against neuroadapted Sindbis virus infection in mice. We describe here further development of this series, resulting in 10-fold improvement in potency in a WEEV repliton assay and up to 40-fold increases in half-lives in mouse liver microsomes. Using a rhodamine123 uptake assay in MDR1-MDCKII cells, we were able to identify structural modifications that markedly reduce recognition by P-glycoprotein, the key efflux transporter at the blood brain barrier. In a preliminary mouse PK study, we were able to demonstrate that two new analogues could achieve higher and/or longer plasma drug exposures than our previous lead and that one compound achieved measurable drug levels in the brain.