1
|
Pelletier JC, Chen S, Bian H, Shah R, Smith GR, Wrobel JE, Reitz AB. Dipeptide Prodrugs of the Glutamate Modulator Riluzole. ACS Med Chem Lett 2018; 9:752-756. [PMID: 30034613 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously reported a prodrug strategy based on the marketed drug riluzole (2-amino-6-trifluoromethoxybenzothiazole), associated with the benefits of lower patient to patient variability of exposure and potentially once daily oral dosing, as opposed to the large variance and twice daily dosing, which is currently observed with the parent drug. Riluzole is a glutamate modulator that is currently approved by the US FDA to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Riluzole also strongly suppresses the growth of melanoma cells that express the type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor (GRM1, mGluR1). Riluzole is a substrate for the variably expressed liver isozyme CYP1A2, which has been shown to contribute to the variance in exposure of riluzole in humans upon oral administration. In addition, an elevated Cmax following oral administration is a probable cause of increased liver enzyme levels in some patients. In order to mitigate these issues, a series of natural and unnatural dipeptide prodrugs of riluzole were prepared as products that bear lower first-pass hepatic clearance. The prodrugs were evaluated for their ability to produce riluzole in serum while remaining intact prior to absorption from the GI tract, characteristic of a type IIB prodrug. Here, we describe dipeptide conjugates of riluzole and report that the t-Bu-Gly-Sar-riluzole analog FC-3423 (6) is absorbed well and converts to riluzole in rats and mice in a regular and well-defined manner. FC-3423 strongly suppress tumor cell growth in mouse xenograft models of melanoma at a molar dose 10-fold less than that of riluzole itself.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C. Pelletier
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Suzie Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, 164 Frelinghuysen Road, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Haiyan Bian
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Raj Shah
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, 164 Frelinghuysen Road, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Garry R. Smith
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Jay E. Wrobel
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Allen B. Reitz
- Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc., 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
- ALS Biopharma, LLC, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| |
Collapse
|