Gilles Ouvry

Synthesis and biological activity of anticoccidial agents: 2,3-diarylindoles

Novel 2,3-diarylindoles bearing an amine substituent at the indole 5- and 6-positions have been synthesized and evaluated as anticoccidial agents in both in vitro and in vivo assays. Both subnanomolar in vitro activity and broad spectrum in vivo potency were detected for several compounds, particularly compound 27.

Discovery of phenoxyindazoles and phenylthioindazoles as RORγ inverse agonists

Targeting the IL17 pathway and more specifically the nuclear receptor RORγ is thought to be beneficial in multiple skin disorders. The Letter describes the discovery of phenoxyindazoles and thiophenoxy indazoles as potent RORγ inverse agonists. Optimization of the potency and efforts to mitigate the phototoxic liability of the series are presented. Finally, crystallization of the lead compound revealed that the series bound to an allosteric site of the nuclear receptor. Such compounds could be useful as tool compounds for understanding the impact of topical treatment on skin disease models.

Discovery and Characterization of CD12681, a Potent RORγ Inverse Agonist, Preclinical Candidate for the Topical Treatment of Psoriasis

With possible implications in multiple autoimmune diseases, the retinoic acid receptor‐related orphan receptor RORγ has become a sought‐after target in the pharmaceutical industry. Herein are described the efforts to identify a potent RORγ inverse agonist compatible with topical application for the treatment of skin diseases. These efforts culminated in the discovery of N‐(2,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐N‐isobutyl‐2‐oxo‐1‐[(tetrahydro‐2H‐pyran‐4‐yl)methyl]‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole‐5‐sulfonamide (CD12681), a potent inverse agonist with in vivo activity in an IL‐23‐induced mouse skin inflammation model.

Structure-based design of Trifarotene (CD5789), a potent and selective RARγ agonist for the treatment of acne

Retinoids have a dominant role in topical acne therapy and to date, only RARβ and RARγ dual agonists have reached the market. Given the tissue distribution of RAR isoforms, it was hypothesized that developing RARγ -selective agonists could yield a new generation of topical acne treatments that would increase safety margins while maintaining the robust efficacy of previous drugs. Structural knowledge derived from the X-ray structure of known γ-selective CD437, suggested the design of a novel triaryl series of agonists which was optimized and ultimately led to the discovery of Trifarotene/CD5789.