Stephen Deems Gabriel

Metal impurities cause false positives in high-throughput screening campaigns.

Organic impurities in compound libraries are known to often cause false-positive signals in screening campaigns for new leads, but organic impurities do not fully account for all false-positive results. We discovered inorganic impurities in our screening library that can also cause positive signals for a variety of targets and/or readout systems, including biochemical and biosensor assays. We investigated in depth the example of zinc for a specific project and in retrospect in various HTS screens at Roche and propose a straightforward counter screen using the chelator TPEN to rule out inhibition caused by zinc.

Discovery of Highly Selective and Orally Active Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor-1 Antagonists with Potent Activity on Human Lung Fibroblasts

Lysophosphatidic acid is a class of bioactive phospholipid that mediates most of its biological effects through LPA receptors, of which six isoforms have been identified. The recent results from LPA1 knockout mice suggested that blocking LPA1 signaling could provide a potential novel approach for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we report the design and synthesis of pyrazole- and triazole-derived carbamates as LPA1-selective and LPA1/3 dual antagonists. In particular, compound 2, the most selective LPA1 antagonist reported, inhibited proliferation and contraction of normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLF) following LPA stimulation. Oral dosing of compound 2 to mice resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of plasma histamine levels in a murine LPA challenge model. Furthermore, we applied our novel antagonists as chemistry probes and investigated the contribution of LPA1/2/3 in mediating the pro-fibrotic responses. Our results suggest LPA1 as the major receptor subtype mediating LPA-induced proliferation and contraction of NHLF.

Spiropiperidine CCR5 antagonists.

A novel series of CCR5 antagonists has been identified, utilizing leads from high-throughput screening which were further modified based on insights from competitor molecules. Lead optimization was pursued by balancing opposing trends of metabolic stability and potency. Selective and potent analogs with good pharmacokinetic properties were successfully developed.

Discovery of a potent, selective and orally bioavailable 3,9-diazaspiro[5.5]undeca-2-one CCR5 antagonist.

Replacement of the cyclic carbamate in our previously disclosed 1-oxa-3,9-diazaspiro[5.5]undecan-2-one template led to the discovery of two novel series of 3,9-diazaspiro[5.5]undecane and undeca-2-one CCR5 antagonists. The synthesis, SAR, and antiviral activities of these two series are described. One compound (32) was found to have attractive combination of antiviral potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic profile. The asymmetric synthesis of 32 was also accomplished and both enantiomers were equally potent.

Synthesis, SAR and evaluation of [1,4']-bipiperidinyl-4-yl-imidazolidin-2-one derivatives as novel CCR5 antagonists.

Elaboration of our previously disclosed spiropiperidine template led to the development of a series of novel CCR5 antagonists. Results of SAR exploration and preliminary lead characterization are described.