Enantiopure five-membered cyclicdiamine derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors of factor Xa. Improving in vitro metabolic stability via core modifications

Enantioselective 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Using (Z)-α-Amidonitroalkenes as a Key Step to the Access to Chiral cis-3,4-Diaminopyrrolidines

The enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between imino esters and (Z)-nitroalkenes bearing a masked amino group in the β-position was studied using several chiral ligands and silver salts. The optimized reaction conditions were directly applied to the study of the scope of the reaction. The determination of the absolute configuration was evaluated using NMR experiments and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The reduction and hydrolysis of both groups was performed to generate in an excellent enantiomeric ratio the corresponding cis-2,3-diaminoprolinate.

Recent advances in the discovery and development of factor XI/XIa inhibitors

Factor XIa (FXIa) is a serine protease homodimer that belongs to the intrinsic coagulation pathway. FXIa primarily catalyzes factor IX activation to factor IXa, which subsequently activates factor X to factor Xa in the common coagulation pathway. Growing evidence suggests that FXIa plays an important role in thrombosis with a relatively limited contribution to hemostasis. Therefore, inhibitors targeting factor XI (FXI)/FXIa system have emerged as a paradigm-shifting strategy so as to develop a new generation of anticoagulants to effectively prevent and/or treat thromboembolic diseases without the life-threatening risk of internal bleeding. Several inhibitors of FXI/FXIa proteins have been discovered or designed over the last decade including polypeptides, active site peptidomimetic inhibitors, allosteric inhibitors, antibodies, and aptamers. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which ultimately reduce the hepatic biosynthesis of FXI, have also been introduced. A phase II study, which included patients undergoing elective primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty, revealed that a specific FXI ASO effectively protects patients against venous thrombosis with a relatively limited risk of bleeding. Initial findings have also demonstrated the potential of FXI/FXIa inhibitors in sepsis, listeriosis, and arterial hypertension. This review highlights various chemical, biochemical, and pharmacological aspects of FXI/FXIa inhibitors with the goal of advancing their development toward clinical use.

Discovery of novel P1 groups for coagulation factor VIIa inhibition using fragment-based screening

A multidisciplinary, fragment-based screening approach involving protein ensemble docking and biochemical and NMR assays is described. This approach led to the discovery of several structurally diverse, neutral surrogates for cationic factor VIIa P1 groups, which are generally associated with poor pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. Among the novel factor VIIa inhibitory fragments identified were aryl halides, lactams, and heterocycles. Crystallographic structures for several bound fragments were obtained, leading to the successful design of a potent factor VIIa inhibitor with a neutral lactam P1 and improved permeability.

Preclinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of apixaban, a potent and selective factor Xa inhibitor

Apixaban is a potent, highly selective, reversible, oral, direct factor Xa (fXa) inhibitor in development for thrombosis prevention and treatment. The preclinical pharmacokinetic (PK) attributes of apixaban feature small volume of distribution (Vd), low systemic clearance (CL), and good oral bioavailability. Apixaban is well absorbed in rat, dog, and chimpanzee, with absolute oral bioavailability of approximately 50% or greater. The steady-state Vd of apixaban is approximately 0.5, 0.2, and 0.17 l/kg in rats, dogs, and chimpanzees, while CL is approximately 0.9, 0.04, and 0.018 l/h/kg, respectively. In vitro metabolic clearance of apixaban is also low. Renal clearance comprises approximately 10-30% of systemic clearance in rat, dog, and chimpanzee. Anti-fXa activity, prothrombin time (PT), and HEPTEST(®) clotting time (HCT) prolongation correlated well with plasma apixaban concentration in rat, dog and chimpanzee. There was no lag time between apixaban plasma concentration and the pharmacodynamic (PD) markers, suggesting a rapid onset of action of apixaban. The PK/PD analyses were performed using an inhibitory E (max) model for anti-fXa assay and a linear model for PT and HCT assays. The IC(50) values for anti-fXa activity were 0.73 ± 0.03 and 1.5 ± 0.15 μM for rat and dog, respectively. The apparent K ( i ) values for PT were approximately 1.7, 6.6, and 4.8 μM for rat, dog and chimpanzee, respectively. The apparent K ( i ) for HCT was approximately 1.3 μM for dog. Apixaban exhibits desirable PK and PD properties for clinical development with good oral bioavailability, small Vd, low CL, and direct, predictable, concentration-dependent PD responses.

Construction of a bicyclic beta-benzyloxy and beta-hydroxy amide library through a multicomponent cyclization reaction

In this manuscript, we describe the synthesis of a bicyclic beta-benzyloxy and beta-hydroxy amide library from cyanohydrin ethers. The benzyloxy amides were prepared through a one-pot sequence of hydrozirconation, acylation, and intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation. Selected benzyl ethers were converted to alcohols by hydrogenolysis in a continuous flow reactor. Chemistry space BCUT metrics and 2D fingerprint similarity calculations showed that these compounds contribute chemical diversity value to existing chemical libraries.

Discovery of a factor Xa inhibitor (3R,4R)-1-(2,2-difluoro-ethyl)-pyrrolidine-3,4-dicarboxylic acid 3-[(5-chloro-pyridin-2-yl)-amide] 4-[[2-fluoro-4-(2-oxo-2H-pyridin-1-yl)-phenyl]-amide] as a clinical candidate

A series of (3R,4R)-pyrrolidine-3,4-dicarboxylic acid amides was investigated with respect to their factor Xa inhibitory activity, selectivity, pharmacokinetic properties, and ex vivo antithrombotic activity. The clinical candidate from this series, R1663, exhibits excellent selectivity against a panel of serine proteases and good pharmacokinetic properties in rats and monkeys. A Phase I clinical study with R1663 has been finalized.

Novel factor Xa inhibitors: a patent review

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

New oral anticoagulants with favorable safety profiles and fixed doses are required for the management of thromboembolism and stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Among them, fXa inhibitors (the so-called xabans) are attractive options that can overcome limitations (e.g., bleeding) of the current oral antithrombotic therapy. The rational design of small-molecule direct fXa inhibitors, whose importance is testified by the growing number of publications and patents recently registered, has been fully supported by the X-ray crystallography of enzyme-ligand complexes.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

Pubmed, SciFinder Scholar, ISI web of knowledge(SM), http://ep.espacenet.com/ and Google websites were used as the main sources for literature retrieving, and > 100 patents filed between 2006 and April 2009, reviewed and discussed herein, highlight the variety among the P1 and P4 moieties on suitable scaffolds.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

The replacement of the benzamidine P1 moiety, which characterizes the first generation, with less basic bioisosteric or nonpolar neutral P1 groups led to the disclosure of numerous fXa inhibitors with high potency, selectivity and oral bioavailability. Novel selective fXa inhibitors with stable pharmacokinetics, better therapeutic windows and ease-of-use than the existing anticoagulants are currently under advanced stage clinical trials.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

Available data from Phase II and Phase III studies reflect the drive towards fXa inhibitors as potentially more effective and safer antithrombotic drugs. Their development is expected to address two major needs for anticoagulation, namely safety and ease-of-use, and to significantly affect the anticoagulant market.

Intramolecular azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition: versatile route to new heterocyclic structural scaffolds

Investigating the relatively unexplored intramolecular version of the azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition, the present studies demonstrate the utility of the above reaction in the synthesis of a variety of as yet unreported heterocyclic structural scaffolds. The approach involved initial installation of strategic azide and alkyne moieties on a common structural framework, followed by their intramolecular cycloaddition studies. The pivotal azidoalkyne intermediates were efficiently accessed from a variety of easily available starting materials such as olefins, epoxides, amino acids, amino alcohols, ketones etc. The key reactions for incorporation of the azide functionality into the desired framework involved azidolysis of epoxides, displacement of hydroxy groups with azide nucleophiles, and diazo transfer on amine. Attachment of the desired alkyne functionalities was accomplished by either N-, or, O-alkylation with appropriate propargylic halides. The azidoalkynes thus prepared underwent smooth intramolecular cycloaddition, resulting in a variety of novel triazolooxazine and triazolopyrazine derivatives. Interestingly, unlike in the intermolecular version, metal catalysis was not necessary for the performance of the above cycloadditions. It is expected that the results from the present studies and its further extension will provide a potentially fertile pathway to a variety of unique chemical entities of structural and biological significance.