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Webb DA, Meyer MJ, Medubi KM, Tylek AS, Yocum GT, Roni MSR, Zahn NM, Swartwout SA, Masoud AK, Emala CW, Stafford DC, Arnold LA. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Spiro Imidazobenzodiazepines to Identify Improved Inhaled Bronchodilators. J Med Chem 2023; 66:9853-9865. [PMID: 37418196 PMCID: PMC10833105 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Novel gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAAR) ligands structurally related to imidazobenzodiazepine MIDD0301 were synthesized using spiro-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs). These compounds demonstrated increased resistance to phase 2 metabolism and avoided the formation of a 6H isomer. Compound design was guided by molecular docking using the available crystal structure of the α1β3γ2 GABAAR and correlated with in vitro binding data. The carboxylic acid containing GABAAR ligands have high aqueous solubility, low permeability, and low cell toxicity. The inability of GABAAR ligands to cross the blood-brain barrier was confirmed in vivo by the absence of sensorimotor inhibition. Pharmacological activities at lung GABAARs were demonstrated by ex vivo relaxation of guinea pig airway smooth muscle and reduction of methacholine-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in conscious mice. We identified bronchodilator 5c with an affinity of 9 nM for GABAARs that was metabolically stable in the presence of human and mouse microsomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Webb
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Michelle J Meyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Kayode M Medubi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Anika S Tylek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Gene T Yocum
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - M S Rashid Roni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Nicolas M Zahn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Sarah A Swartwout
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Ahmad K Masoud
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Charles W Emala
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | | | - Leggy A Arnold
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
- Pantherics Incorporated, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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Rashid Roni MS, Zahn NM, Yocum GT, Webb DA, Mian MY, Meyer MJ, Tylek AS, Cook JM, Emala CW, Stafford DC, Arnold LA. Comparative pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic study of MIDD0301 and its (S) enantiomer. Drug Dev Res 2022; 83:979-992. [PMID: 35246861 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
MIDD0301 is being developed as an oral drug to relax airway smooth muscle (ASM) and reduce lung inflammation in asthma. We report a comparative study of MIDD0301 and its S isomer (MIDD0301S), and found that the compounds have equivalent affinity for γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAA R) expressed in rat brain, with half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 25.1 and 26.3 nM for the S and R enantiomers, respectively. Both compounds relaxed substance P contracted ASM within 30 min and neither enantiomer revealed affinity to 48 receptors in an off-target screen. Both enantiomers reduced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) with nebulized and oral dosing in two mouse models of bronchoconstriction. In A/J mice, which are very sensitive to methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction, we observed reduction of AHR at 10.8 mg/kg MIDD0301 and 15 mg/kg MIDD0301S. Using oral administration, 100 mg/kg/day for 3 days of either enantiomer was sufficient to reduce AHR. In a model of severe airway inflammation induced by interferon-γ and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we observed reduction of AHR at 7.2 mg/kg for both enantiomers using nebulized administration, and at 100 mg/kg for oral administration. MIDD0301 and MIDD0301S did not undergo Phase I metabolism. Glucuronidation was observed for both compounds, whereas only MIDD0301 formed the corresponding glucoside in the presence of kidney microsomes. Pharmacokinetic analysis identified glucuronides as the major metabolite with concentrations up to 20-fold more than the parent compound. MIDD0301 glucuronide and MIDD0301 taurine bind GABAA Rs, although 10-fold weaker than MIDD0301. In mouse blood, the taurine adduct was only observed for MIDD0301. Overall, both compounds exhibited similar receptor binding and pharmacodynamic properties with subtle differences in metabolism and greater oral availability and blood concentrations of MIDD0301S.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Rashid Roni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Nicolas M Zahn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gene T Yocum
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel A Webb
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Md Yeunus Mian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Michelle J Meyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Anika S Tylek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - James M Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Charles W Emala
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Leggy A Arnold
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Pantherics Incorporated, La Jolla, California, USA
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Zahn N, Roni MSR, Yocum GT, Meyer MJ, Webb DA, Mian MY, Cook JM, Stafford DC, Emala CW, Arnold LA. Development of Inhaled GABA A Receptor Modulators to Improve Airway Function in Bronchoconstrictive Disorders. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:80-88. [PMID: 35187417 PMCID: PMC8844962 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We report the modification of MIDD0301, an imidazodiazepine GABAA receptor (GABAAR) ligand, using two alkyl substituents. We developed PI310 with a 6-(4-phenylbutoxy)hexyl chain as used in the long-acting β2-agonist salmeterol and PI320 with a poly(ethylene glycol) chain as used to improve the brain:plasma ratio of naloxegol, a naloxone analogue. Both imidazodiazepines showed affinity toward the GABAAR binding site of clonazepam, with IC50 values of 576 and 242 nM, respectively. Molecular docking analysis, using the available α1β3γ2 GABAAR structural data, suggests binding of the diazepine core between the α1+/γ2- interface, whereas alkyl substituents are located outside the binding site and thus interact with the protein surface and solvent molecules. The physicochemical properties of these compounds are very different. The solubility of PI310 is low in water. PEGylation of PI320 significantly improves aqueous solubility and cell permeability. Neither compound is toxic in HEK293 cells following exposure at >300 μM for 18 h. Ex vivo studies using guinea pig tracheal rings showed that PI310 was unable to relax the constricted airway smooth muscle. In contrast, PI320 induced muscle relaxation at organ bath concentrations as low as 5 μM, with rapid onset (15 min) at 25 μM. PI320 also reduced airway hyper-responsiveness in vivo in a mouse model of steroid-resistant lung inflammation induced by intratracheal challenge with INFγ and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At nebulized doses of 7.2 mg/kg, PI320 and albuterol were equally effective in reducing airway hyper-responsiveness. Ten minutes after nebulization, the lung concentration of PI320 was 50-fold that of PI310, indicating superior availability of PI320 when nebulized as an aqueous solution. Overall, PI320 is a promising inhaled drug candidate to quickly relax airway smooth muscle in bronchoconstrictive disorders, such as asthma. Future studies will evaluate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties of PI320 when administered orally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas
M. Zahn
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug
Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - M. S. Rashid Roni
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug
Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Gene T. Yocum
- Department
of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Michelle J. Meyer
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug
Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Daniel A. Webb
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug
Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Md Yeunus Mian
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug
Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - James M. Cook
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug
Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | | | - Charles W. Emala
- Department
of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Leggy A. Arnold
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug
Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States,Pantherics
Incorporated, La Jolla, California 92037, United States,
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Knutson DE, Roni R, Mian Y, Cook JM, Stafford DC, Arnold LA. Improved scale-up synthesis and purification of clinical asthma candidate MIDD0301. Org Process Res Dev 2020; 24:1467-1476. [PMID: 32952391 DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.0c00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We report an improved and scalable synthesis of MIDD0301, a positive GABAA receptor modulator that is under development as oral and inhaled treatments for asthma. In contrast to other benzodiazepines in clinical use, MIDD0301 is a chiral compound that has limited brain absorption. The starting material to generate MIDD0301 is 2-amino-5-bromo-2'-fluorobenzophenone, which has a non-basic nitrogen due to electron withdrawing substituents in the ortho and para positions, reducing its reactivity towards activated carboxylic acids. Investigations of peptide coupling reagents on multigram scale resulted in moderate yields due to incomplete conversions. Secondly, basic conditions used for the formation of the seven-membered 1,4-diazepine ring resulted in racemization of the chiral center. We found that neutral conditions comparable to the pKa of the primary amine were sufficient to support the formation of the intramolecular imine but did not enable the simultaneous removal of the protecting group. Both difficulties were overcome with the application of the N-carboxyanhydride of D-alanine. Activated in the presence of acid, this compound reacted with non-basic 2-amino-5-bromo-2'-fluorobenzophenone and formed the 1,4-diazepine upon neutralization with triethylamine. Carefully designed workup procedures and divergent solubility of the synthetic intermediates in solvents and solvent combinations were utilized to eliminate the need for column chromatography. To improve compatibility with large scale reactors, temperature-controlled slow addition of reagents generated the imidazodiazepine at -20 °C. All intermediates were isolated with a purity of >97% and impurities were identified and quantified. After the final hydrolysis step, MIDD0301 was isolated in a 44% overall yield and purity of 98.9% after recrystallization. The enantiomeric excess was greater than 99.0%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Knutson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, United States
| | - Rashid Roni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, United States
| | - Yeunus Mian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, United States
| | - James M Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, United States
| | - Douglas C Stafford
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, United States.,Pantherics Incorporated, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Leggy A Arnold
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, United States.,Pantherics Incorporated, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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