Wade S. Blair

A small molecule HIV-1 inhibitor that targets the HIV-1 envelope and inhibits CD4 receptor binding

BMS-378806 is a recently discovered small molecule HIV-1 inhibitor that blocks viral entrance to cells. The compound exhibits potent inhibitory activity against a panel of R5-(virus using the CCR5 coreceptor), X4-(virus using the CXCR4 coreceptor), and R5/X4 HIV-1 laboratory and clinical isolates of the B subtype (median EC50 of 0.04 μM) in culture assays. BMS-378806 is selective for HIV-1 and inactive against HIV-2, SIV and a panel of other viruses, and exhibits no significant cytotoxicity in the 14 cell types tested (concentration for 50% reduction of cell growth, >225 μM). Mechanism of action studies demonstrated that BMS-378806 binds to gp120 and inhibits the interactions of the HIV-1 envelope protein to cellular CD4 receptors. Further confirmation that BMS-378806 targets the envelope in infected cells was obtained through the isolation of resistant variants and the mapping of resistance substitutions to the HIV-1 envelope. In particular, two substitutions, M426L and M475I, are situated in the CD4 binding pocket of gp120. Recombinant HIV-1 carrying these two substitutions demonstrated significantly reduced susceptibility to compound inhibition. BMS-378806 displays many favorable pharmacological traits, such as low protein binding, minimal human serum effect on anti-HIV-1 potency, good oral bioavailability in animal species, and a clean safety profile in initial animal toxicology studies. Together, the data show that BMS-378806 is a representative of a new class of HIV inhibitors that has the potential to become a valued addition to our current armamentarium of antiretroviral drugs.

BMS-232632, a Highly Potent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Protease Inhibitor That Can Be Used in Combination with Other Available Antiretroviral Agents

ABSTRACT BMS-232632 is an azapeptide human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease (Prt) inhibitor that exhibits potent anti-HIV activity with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 2.6 to 5.3 nM and an EC90 of 9 to 15 nM in cell culture. Proof-of-principle studies indicate that BMS-232632 blocks the cleavage of viral precursor proteins in HIV-infected cells, proving that it functions as an HIV Prt inhibitor. Comparative studies showed that BMS-232632 is generally more potent than the five currently approved HIV-1 Prt inhibitors. Furthermore, BMS-232632 is highly selective for HIV-1 Prt and exhibits cytotoxicity only at concentrations 6,500- to 23,000-fold higher than that required for anti-HIV activity. To assess the potential of this inhibitor when used in combination with other antiretrovirals, BMS-232632 was evaluated for anti-HIV activity in two-drug combination studies. Combinations of BMS-232632 with either stavudine, didanosine, lamivudine, zidovudine, nelfinavir, indinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, or amprenavir in HIV-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells yielded additive to moderately synergistic antiviral effects. Importantly, combinations of drug pairs did not result in antagonistic anti-HIV activity or enhanced cytotoxic effects at the highest concentrations used for antiviral evaluation. Our results suggest that BMS-232632 may be an effective HIV-1 inhibitor that may be utilized in a variety of different drug combinations.

HIV-1 entry - an expanding portal for drug discovery.

The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-combinations of protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitors-provided a potent and clinically effective method of suppressing viral load in HIV-1- infected individuals. However, although initially successful, a broader clinical experience has revealed limitations in this therapeutic regimen, with up to 40% of treated individuals ultimately failing to sustain control over viral replication. Significant advances in understanding the process by which HIV-1 enters host cells have brought into clear focus a target for drug discovery not represented in the current clinical armamentarium. In this article, the mechanism of HIV-1 entry is reviewed in the context of representative antiviral agents that interfere with key steps in this process.

Identification of Imidazo-Pyrrolopyridines as Novel and Potent JAK1 Inhibitors.

A therapeutic rationale is proposed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), by specific targeting of the JAK1 pathway. Examination of the preferred binding conformation of clinically effective, pan-JAK inhibitor 1 led to identification of a novel, tricyclic hinge binding scaffold 3. Exploration of SAR through a series of cycloamino and cycloalkylamino analogues demonstrated this template to be highly tolerant of substitution, with a predisposition to moderate selectivity for the JAK1 isoform over JAK2. This study culminated in the identification of subnanomolar JAK1 inhibitors such as 22 and 49, having excellent cell potency, good rat pharmacokinetic characteristics, and excellent kinase selectivity. Determination of the binding modes of the series in JAK1 and JAK2 by X-ray crystallography supported the design of analogues to enhance affinity and selectivity.

Discovery of Potent and Selective Pyrazolopyrimidine Janus Kinase 2 Inhibitors

The discovery of somatic Jak2 mutations in patients with chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms has led to significant interest in discovering selective Jak2 inhibitors for use in treating these disorders. A high-throughput screening effort identified the pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine scaffold as a potent inhibitor of Jak2. Optimization of lead compounds 7a-b and 8 in this chemical series for activity against Jak2, selectivity against other Jak family kinases, and good in vivo pharmacokinetic properties led to the discovery of 7j. In a SET2 xenograft model that is dependent on Jak2 for growth, 7j demonstrated a time-dependent knock-down of pSTAT5, a downstream target of Jak2.

Inhibitors of HIV-1 attachment. Part 2: An initial survey of indole substitution patterns

The effects of introducing simple halogen, alkyl, and alkoxy substituents to the 4, 5, 6 and 7 positions of 1-(4-benzoylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethane-1,2-dione, an inhibitor of the interaction between HIV gp120 and host cell CD4 receptors, on activity in an HIV entry assay was examined. Small substituents at C-4 generally resulted in increased potency whilst substitution at C-7 was readily tolerated and uniformly produced more potent HIV entry inhibitors. Substituents deployed at C-6 and, particularly, C-5 generally produced a modest to marked weakening of potency compared to the prototype. Small alkyl substituents at N-1 exerted minimal effect on activity whilst increasing the size of the alkyl moiety led to progressively reduced inhibitory properties. These studies establish a basic understanding of the indole element of the HIV attachment inhibitor pharmacophore.

Identification of C-2 Hydroxyethyl Imidazopyrrolopyridines as Potent JAK1 Inhibitors with Favorable Physicochemical Properties and High Selectivity over JAK2.

Herein we report on the structure-based discovery of a C-2 hydroxyethyl moiety which provided consistently high levels of selectivity for JAK1 over JAK2 to the imidazopyrrolopyridine series of JAK1 inhibitors. X-ray structures of a C-2 hydroxyethyl analogue in complex with both JAK1 and JAK2 revealed differential ligand/protein interactions between the two isoforms and offered an explanation for the observed selectivity. Analysis of historical data from related molecules was used to develop a set of physicochemical compound design parameters to impart desirable properties such as acceptable membrane permeability, potent whole blood activity, and a high degree of metabolic stability. This work culminated in the identification of a highly JAK1 selective compound (31) exhibiting favorable oral bioavailability across a range of preclinical species and robust efficacy in a rat CIA model.

High-throughput human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) full replication assay that includes HIV-1 vif as an antiviral target

ABSTRACT Antiviral screens have proved useful for the identification of novel human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) inhibitors. In this study, we describe an HIV-1 full replication (HIV-1 Rep) assay that incorporates all of the targets required for replication in T-cell lines, including the HIV-1 Vif gene. The HIV-1 Rep assay was designed to exhibit optimal sensitivity to late-stage as well as early-stage inhibitors to maximize the likelihood of identification of novel target antiviral compounds in a screen. In addition, the flexibility of the HIV-1 Rep assay allows the rapid evaluation of antiviral compounds against different virus strains in different T-cell lines without significant modification of the assay format. We demonstrate that the HIV-1 Rep assay exhibits characteristics (e.g., a favorable Z′ value) compatible with high-throughput screening in a 384-well format. The utility of the HIV-1 Rep assay was demonstrated in a high-throughput screen of >106 compounds. To our knowledge, this study represents the first example of an HIV-1 antiviral screen that includes Vif as a functional target and was executed on an industrial scale.

Inhibitors of HIV-1 attachment. Part 3: A preliminary survey of the effect of structural variation of the benzamide moiety on antiviral activity.

1-(4-Benzoylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethane-1,2-dione (1a) has been characterized as an inhibitor of HIV-1 attachment that interferes with the interaction of viral gp120 with the host cell receptor CD4. In previous studies, the effect of indole substitution pattern on antiviral activity was probed. In this Letter, the effect of structural variation of the benzamide moiety is described, a study that reveals the potential or the phenyl moiety to be replaced by five-membered heterocyclic rings and a restricted tolerance for the introduction of substituents to the phenyl ring.

Inhibitors of HIV-1 attachment. Part 4: A study of the effect of piperazine substitution patterns on antiviral potency in the context of indole-based derivatives

4-Fluoro- and 4-methoxy-1-(4-benzoylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethane-1,2-dione (2 and 3, respectively) have been characterized as potent inhibitors of HIV-1 attachment that interfere with the interaction of viral gp120 with the host cell receptor CD4. As part of an effort to understand fundamental aspects of this pharmacophore, discovered originally using a high throughput cell-based screen, modification and substitution of the piperazine ring was examined in the context of compounds 6a-ah. The piperazine ring was shown to be a critical element of the HIV-1 attachment inhibiting pharmacophore, acting as a scaffold to deploy the indole glyoxamide and benzamide in a topographical relationship that complements the binding site on gp120.