Joseph Pontillo

Discovery of sodium R-(+)-4-{2-[5-(2-fluoro-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(2-fluoro-6-[trifluoromethyl]benzyl)-4-methyl-2,6-dioxo-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrimidin-1-yl]-1-phenylethylamino}butyrate (elagolix), a potent and orally available nonpeptide antagonist of the human gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor.

The discovery of novel uracil phenylethylamines bearing a butyric acid as potent human gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (hGnRH-R) antagonists is described. A major focus of this optimization was to improve the CYP3A4 inhibition liability of these uracils while maintaining their GnRH-R potency. R-4-{2-[5-(2-fluoro-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(2-fluoro-6-[trifluoromethyl]benzyl)-4-methyl-2,6-dioxo-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrimidin-1-yl]-1-phenylethylamino}butyric acid sodium salt, 10b (elagolix), was identified as a potent and selective hGnRH-R antagonist. Oral administration of 10b suppressed luteinizing hormone in castrated macaques. These efforts led to the identification of 10b as a clinical compound for the treatment of endometriosis.

Discovery of a potent, selective, and less flexible selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (sNRI).

The design, synthesis, and SAR of a series of ring-constrained norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are described. A substantially rigid inhibitor with potent functional activity at the transporter (IC(50)=8 nM) was used to develop a model for the distance and orientation of key features necessary for interaction with the norepinephrine transporter (NET).

Potent and orally bioavailable zwitterion GnRH antagonists with low CYP3A4 inhibitory activity

Incorporation of a carboxylic acid into a series of uracil derivatives as hGnRH-R antagonists resulted in a significant reduction of CYP3A4 inhibitory activity. Highly potent hGnRH antagonists with low CYP3A4 inhibitory liability, such as 8a and 8d, were identified. Thus, 8a had a K(i) of 2.2 nM at GnRH-R and an IC(50) of 36 microM at CYP3A4.

Studies on the Structure-Activity Relationship of the Basic Amine of Phenylpiperazines as Melanocortin-4 Receptor Antagonists

A series of piperazinephenethylamines were synthesized to study the contribution of a basic amine to binding affinity at the melanocortin-4 receptor. Several potent compounds from this series possessed subnanomolar K(i) values in a competition binding assay.

Synthesis and structure–activity relationships of selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (sNRI) with improved pharmaceutical characteristics

The design synthesis and SAR of a series of chiral ring-constrained norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors with improved physicochemical properties is described. Typical compounds are potent (IC(50)s<10 nM), selective against the other monoamine transporters, weak CYP2D6 inhibitors (IC(50)s>1 microM) and stable to oxidation by human liver microsomes. In addition, the compounds exhibit a favorable polarity profile.