Vandna Munshi

Inhibition of HIV-1 Ribonuclease H by a Novel Diketo Acid, 4-[5-(Benzoylamino)thien-2-yl]-2,4-dioxobutanoic Acid

Human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) coordinates DNA polymerization and ribonuclease H (RNase H) activities using two discrete active sites embedded within a single heterodimeric polyprotein. We have identified a novel thiophene diketo acid, 4-[5-(benzoylamino)thien-2-yl]-2,4-dioxobutanoic acid, that selectively inhibits polymerase-independent RNase H cleavage (IC50 = 3.2 μm) but has no effect on DNA polymerization (IC50 > 50 μm). The activity profile of the diketo acid is shown to be distinct from previously described compounds, including the polymerase inhibitor foscarnet and the putative RNase H inhibitor 4-chlorophenylhydrazone. Both foscarnet and the hydrazone inhibit RNase H cleavage and DNA polymerization activities of RT, yet neither inhibits the RNase H activity of RT containing a mutation in the polymerase active site (D185N) or an isolated HIV-1 RNase H domain chimera containing the α-C helix from Escherichia coli RNase HI, suggesting these compounds affect RNase H indirectly. In contrast, the diketo acid inhibits the RNase H activity of the isolated RNase H domain as well as full-length RT, and inhibition is not affected by the polymerase active site mutation. In isothermal titration calorimetry studies using the isolated RNase H domain, binding of the diketo acid is independent of nucleic acid but strictly requires Mn2+implying a direct interaction between the inhibitor and the RNase H active site. These studies demonstrate that inhibition of HIV-1 RNase H may occur by either direct or indirect mechanisms, and they provide a framework for identifying novel agents such as 4-[5-(benzoylamino)thien- 2-yl]-2,4-dioxobutanoic acid that specifically targets RNase H.

Discovery of 3-{5-[(6-amino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-3-yl)methoxy]-2-chlorophenoxy}-5-chlorobenzonitrile (MK-4965): a potent, orally bioavailable HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor with improved potency against key mutant viruses.

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) have been shown to be a key component of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The use of NNRTIs has become part of standard combination antiviral therapies producing clinical outcomes with efficacy comparable to other antiviral regimens. There is, however, a critical issue with the emergence of clinical resistance, and a need has arisen for novel NNRTIs with a broad spectrum of activity against key HIV-1 RT mutations. Using a combination of traditional medicinal chemistry/SAR analyses, crystallography, and molecular modeling, we have designed and synthesized a series of novel, highly potent NNRTIs that possess broad spectrum antiviral activity and good pharmacokinetic profiles. Further refinement of key compounds in this series to optimize physical properties and pharmacokinetics has resulted in the identification of 8e (MK-4965), which has high levels of potency against wild-type and key mutant viruses, excellent oral bioavailability and overall pharmacokinetics, and a clean ancillary profile.

The design and synthesis of diaryl ether second generation HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) with enhanced potency versus key clinical mutations.

Using a combination of traditional Medicinal Chemistry/SAR analysis, crystallography, and molecular modeling, we have designed and synthesized a series of novel, highly potent NNRTIs that possess broad antiviral activity against a number of key clinical mutations.

Antiviral Activity of MK-4965, a Novel Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor

ABSTRACT Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are the mainstays of therapy for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections. However, the effectiveness of NNRTIs can be hampered by the development of resistance mutations which confer cross-resistance to drugs in the same class. Extensive efforts have been made to identify new NNRTIs that can suppress the replication of the prevalent NNRTI-resistant viruses. MK-4965 is a novel NNRTI that possesses both diaryl ether and indazole moieties. The compound displays potency at subnanomolar concentrations against wild-type (WT), K103N, and Y181C reverse transcriptase (RT) in biochemical assays. MK-4965 is also highly potent against the WT virus and two most prevalent NNRTI-resistant viruses (viruses that harbor the K103N or the Y181C mutation), against which it had 95% effective concentrations (EC95s) of <30 nM in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum. The antiviral EC95 of MK-4965 was reduced approximately four- to sixfold when it was tested in 50% human serum. Moreover, MK-4965 was evaluated with a panel of 15 viruses with NNRTI resistance-associated mutations and showed a superior mutant profile to that of efavirenz but not to that of etravirine. MK-4965 was similarly effective against various HIV-1 subtypes and viruses containing nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or protease inhibitor resistance-conferring mutations. A two-drug combination study showed that the antiviral activity of MK-4965 was nonantagonistic with each of the 18 FDA-licensed drugs tested vice versa in the present study. Taken together, these in vitro data show that MK-4965 possesses the desired properties for further development as a new NNRTI for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

Biaryl Ethers as Novel Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors with Improved Potency against Key Mutant Viruses

Biaryl ethers were recently reported as potent NNRTIs. Herein we disclose a detailed SAR study that led to the biaryl ether 6. This compound possessed excellent potency against WT RT and key clinically observed RT mutants and had an excellent pharmacokinetic profile in rats, dogs, and rhesus macaques. The compound also exhibited a clean safety profile in preclinical safety studies.

Substituted tetrahydroquinolines as potent allosteric inhibitors of reverse transcriptase and its key mutants

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are key elements of multidrug regimens, called HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy), that are used to treat HIV-1 infections. Elucidation of the structure-activity relationships of the thiocarbamate moiety of the previous published lead compound 2 provided a series of novel tetrahydroquinoline derivatives as potent inhibitors of HIV-1 RT with nanomolar intrinsic activity on the WT and key mutant enzymes and potent antiviral activity in infected cells. The SAR optimization, mutation profiles, preparation of compounds, and pharmacokinetic profile of compounds are described.

Design and synthesis of conformationally constrained inhibitors of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) significantly reduces human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load and has led to a dramatic decrease in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related mortality. Despite this success, there remains a critical need for new HIV therapies to address the emergence of drug resistant viral strains. Next generation NNRTIs are sought that are effective against these mutant forms of the HIV virus. The bound conformations of our lead inhibitors, MK-1107 (1) and MK-4965 (2), were divergent about the oxymethylene linker, and each of these conformations was rigidified using two isomeric cyclic constraints. The constraint derived from the bioactive conformation of 2provided novel, highly potent NNRTIs that possess broad spectrum antiviral activity and good pharmacokinetic profiles. Systematic SAR led to the identification of indazole as the optimal conformational constraint to provide MK-6186 (3) and MK-7445 (6). Despite their reduced flexibility, these compounds had potency comparable to that of the corresponding acyclic ethers in both recombinant enzyme and cell based assays against both the wild-type and the clinically relevant mutant strains.

Design and synthesis of pyridone inhibitors of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase.

Next generation NNRTIs are sought which possess both broad spectrum antiviral activity against key mutant strains and a high genetic barrier to the selection of new mutant viral strains. Pyridones were evaluated as an acyclic conformational constraint to replace the aryl ether core of MK-4965 (1) and the more rigid indazole constraint of MK-6186 (2). The resulting pyridone compounds are potent inhibitors of HIV RT and have antiviral activity in cell culture that is superior to other next generation NNRTIs.

Biaryl ethers as potent allosteric inhibitors of reverse transcriptase and its key mutant viruses: Aryl substituted pyrazole as a surrogate for the pyrazolopyridine motif

Biaryl ethers were recently reported as potent NNRTIs. Herein, we disclose a detailed effort to modify the previously reported compound 1. We have designed and synthesized a series of novel pyrazole derivatives as a surrogate for pyrazolopyridine motif that were potent inhibitors of HIV-1 RT with nanomolar intrinsic activity on the WT and key mutant enzymes and potent antiviral activity in infected cells.

Antiviral Activity and In Vitro Mutation Development Pathways of MK-6186, a Novel Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor

ABSTRACT MK-6186 is a novel nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) which displays subnanomolar potency against wild-type (WT) virus and the two most prevalent NNRTI-resistant RT mutants (K103N and Y181C) in biochemical assays. In addition, it showed excellent antiviral potency against K103N and Y181C mutant viruses, with fold changes (FCs) of less than 2 and 5, respectively. When a panel of 12 common NNRTI-associated mutant viruses was tested with MK-6186, only 2 relatively rare mutants (Y188L and V106I/Y188L) were highly resistant, with FCs of >100, and the remaining viruses showed FCs of <10. Furthermore, a panel of 96 clinical virus isolates with NNRTI resistance mutations was evaluated for susceptibility to NNRTIs. The majority (70%) of viruses tested displayed resistance to efavirenz (EFV), with FCs of >10, whereas only 29% of the mutant viruses displayed greater than 10-fold resistance to MK-6186. To determine whether MK-6186 selects for novel resistance mutations, in vitro resistance selections were conducted with one isolate each from subtypes A, B, and C under low-multiplicity-of-infection (MOI) conditions. The results showed a unique mutation development pattern in which L234I was the first mutation to emerge in the majority of the experiments. In resistance selection under high-MOI conditions with subtype B virus, V106A was the dominant mutation detected in the breakthrough viruses. More importantly, mutant viruses selected by MK-6186 showed FCs of <10 against EFV or etravirine (ETR), and the mutant viruses containing mutations selected by EFV or ETR were sensitive to MK-6186 (FCs of <10).