Jeffrey S. Albert

An Integrated Approach to Fragment-Based Lead Generation:Philosophy, Strategy and Case Studies from AstraZenecas Drug Discovery Programmes

Fragment-based lead generation (FBLG) has recently emerged as an alternative to traditional high throughput screening (HTS) to identify initial chemistry starting points for drug discovery programs. In comparison to HTS screening libraries, the screening sets for FBLG tend to contain orders of magnitude fewer compounds, and the compounds themselves are less structurally complex and have lower molecular weight. This report summarises the advent of FBLG within the industry and then describes the FBLG experience at AstraZeneca. We discuss (1) optimising the design of screening libraries, (2) hit detection methodologies, (3) evaluation of hit quality and use of ligand efficiency calculations, and (4) approaches to evolve fragment-based, low complexity hits towards drug-like leads. Furthermore, we exemplify our use of FBLG with case studies in the following drug discovery areas: antibacterial enzyme targets, GPCRs (melanocortin 4 receptor modulators), prostaglandin D2 synthase inhibitors, phosphatase inhibitors (protein tyrosine phosphotase 1B), and protease inhibitors (b-secretase).

Discovery of novel, orally active dual NK1/NK2 antagonists.

Exploration of the SAR around selective NK2 antagonists, SR48968 and ZD7944, led to the discovery that naphth-1-amide analogues provide potent dual NK1 and NK2 antagonists. ZD6021 inhibited binding of [3H]-NKA or [3H]-SP to human NK1 and NK2 receptors, with high-affinity (K(i)=0.12 and 0.62nM, respectively). In functional assays ZD6021 had, at 10(-7)M, in human pulmonary artery pK(B)=8.9 and in human bronchus pK(B)=7.3, for NK1 and NK2, respectively. Oral administration of ZD6021 to guinea pigs dose-dependently attenuated ASMSP induced extravasation of plasma proteins, ED(50)=0.5mg/kg, and NK2 mediated bronchoconstriction, ED(50)=13mg/kg.

Neurokinin antagonists and their potential role in treating depression and other stress disorders

In the search for new therapeutic targets for depression and other stress-related disorders, much attention has focused on neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1r) antagonists. Progress toward NK2r and NK3r antagonists for the treatment of CNS disorders is also increasing, with multiple chemical series being reported. This review focuses on the patent literature since 2003, regarding these and related developments, for the medicinal chemistry of neurokinin antagonists as targets for depression and stress-related disorders.

Neurokinin-3 receptor antagonists in schizophrenia

Two neurokinin-3 receptor (NK3r) antagonists, osanetant and talnetant, have recently shown positive results in clinical trials for schizophrenia. Following these disclosures, research has accelerated significantly. This review focuses on progress for NK3r antagonists since 2004, primarily from the patent literature. The emphasis here is on NK3r antagonists as treatments for schizophrenia. In addition, antagonists of NK3r that have efficacy at NK1r and/or NK2r have also been explored as antipsychotics or as treatments for other psychiatric disorders and these will be included in this review.

Discovery of a 4-aryloxy-1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine and a 1-aryloxyisoquinoline series of TRPA1 antagonists

A series of TRPA1 antagonists is described having a 4-aryloxy-1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine or a 1-aryloxyisoquinoline scaffold. These compounds have high ligand efficiency and favorable physical properties and may thus serve as scaffolds for further optimization.

Multiple roles of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in inflammatory conditions and current status of drug development.

During inflammation, several Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are directly or indirectly activated by inflammatory signaling molecules and microenvironmental changes including heat, oxidative conditions or low pH. In either case, specific TRP isoforms participate in chains of pro- or anti-inflammatory signaling cascades often including activation of transcription factors, protein kinases and phospholipases, which result in signal integration or amplification. In a few cases, their potentials as therapeutic targets for inflammatory conditions like pruritis, cystitis, dermatitis, asthma among other conditions are investigated pre-clinically or clinically by pioneering academic groups and industries. Significant efforts are still devoted to the understanding of the detailed physiological roles played by TRP channels during inflammation. This review intends to summarize key biological findings and reports of drug discovery activities when available, in an overview of the current status and recent developments in the field.

Synthesis and SAR of sulfoxide substituted carboxyquinolines as NK3 receptor antagonists

The neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor is regarded as a potential novel target for treating patients with schizophrenia. Herein we report the synthesis and SAR of a series of C3-alkylsulfoxide substituted quinolines as potent NK3 receptor antagonists. These compounds have excellent NK3 functional activity, good selectivity and drug-like properties. Several key compounds have good in vitro/in vivo DMPK characteristics, and are active in a gerbil locomotor activity model.

Discovery of a series of aryl-N-(3-(alkylamino)-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)benzamides as TRPA1 antagonists.

We describe the discovery and advancement of a novel series of TRPA1 antagonist having an aryl-N-(3-(alkylamino)-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)benzamide scaffold. The physical and in vitro DMPK profiles are discussed.

Identification of N-(2-(azepan-1-yl)-2-phenylethyl)-benzenesulfonamides as novel inhibitors of GlyT1

A novel series of glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitors is described. Scoping of the heterocycle moiety of hit 4-chlorobenzenesulfonamide 1 led to replacement of the piperidine with an azepane for a modest increase in potency. Phenyl sulfonamides proved superior to alkyl and non-phenyl aromatic sulfonamides, while subsequent ortho substitution of the 2-(azepan-1-yl)-2-phenylethanamine aromatic ring yielded 39 (IC(50) 37 nM, solubility 14 microM), the most potent GlyT1 inhibitor in this series. Favorable brain-plasma ratios were observed for select compounds in pharmacokinetic studies to evaluate CNS penetration.

Fragment-assisted hit investigation involving integrated HTS and fragment screening: Application to the identification of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitors

Fragment-based drug design (FBDD) relies on direct elaboration of fragment hits and typically requires high resolution structural information to guide optimization. In fragment-assisted drug discovery (FADD), fragments provide information to guide selection and design but do not serve as starting points for elaboration. We describe FADD and high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign strategies conducted in parallel against PDE10A where fragment hit co-crystallography was not available. The fragment screen led to prioritized fragment hits (IC50s ∼500μM), which were used to generate a hypothetical core scaffold. Application of this scaffold as a filter to HTS output afforded a 4μM hit, which, after preparation of a small number of analogs, was elaborated into a 16nM lead. This approach highlights the strength of FADD, as fragment methods were applied despite the absence of co-crystallographical information to efficiently identify a lead compound for further optimization.