Selection of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Inhibitor Clinical Candidate, Part 1: Improving the Pharmacokinetic Profile Using the Structure−Property Relationship
作者:Jean-François Bonfanti、Frédéric Doublet、Jérôme Fortin、Jean Lacrampe、Jérôme Guillemont、Philippe Muller、Laurence Queguiner、Eric Arnoult、Tom Gevers、Peggy Janssens、Heidi Szel、Rudy Willebrords、Philip Timmerman、Koen Wuyts、Frans Janssens、Cois Sommen、Piet Wigerinck、Koen Andries
DOI:10.1021/jm070143x
日期:2007.9.1
We previously reported the discovery of substituted benzimidazole fusion inhibitors with nanomolar activity against respiratory syncytial virus (Andries, K.; et al. Antiviral Res. 2003, 60, 209-219). A lead compound of the series was selected for preclinical evaluation. This drug candidate, JNJ-2408068 (formerly R 17059 1, 1), showed long tissue retention times in several species (rat, dog, and monkey), creating cause for concern. We herein describe the optimization program to develop compounds with improved properties in terms of tissue retention. We have identified the aminoethyl-piperidine moiety as being responsible for the long tissue retention time of 1. We have investigated the replacement or the modification of this group, and we suggest that the pK(a) of this part of the molecules influences both the antiviral activity and the pharmacokinetic profile. We were able to identify new respiratory syncytial virus inhibitors with shorter half-lives in lung tissue.