6-Substituted-4-(3-bromophenylamino)quinazolines as putative irreversible inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) tyrosine kinases with enhanced antitumor activity

A series of new 6-substituted-4-(3-bromophenylamino)quinazoline derivatives that may function as irreversible inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) tyrosine kinases have been prepared. These inhibitors have, at the C-6 position, butynamide, crotonamide, and methacrylamide Michael acceptors bearing water-solublilizing substituents. These compounds were prepared by acylation of 6-amino-4-(3-bromophenylamino)quinazoline with unsaturated acid chlorides or mixed anhydrides. We show that attaching a basic functional group onto the Michael acceptor results in greater reactivity, due to intramolecular catalysis of the Michael addition and/or an inductive effect of the protonated basic group. This, along with improved water solubility, results in compounds with enhanced biological properties. We present molecular modeling and experimental evidence that these inhibitors interact covalently with the target enzymes. One compound, 16a, was shown to have excellent oral activity in a human epidermoid carcinoma (A431) xenograft model in nude mice.

4-Anilino-6,7-dialkoxyquinoline-3-carbonitrile inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor kinase and their bioisosteric relationship to the 4-anilino-6,7-dialkoxyquinazoline inhibitors

The synthesis and SAR of a series of 4-anilino-6, 7-dialkoxyquinoline-3-carbonitrile inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) kinase are described. Condensation of 3, 4-dialkoxyanilines with ethyl (ethoxymethylene)cyanoacetate followed by thermal cyclization gave, regiospecifically, 6,7-dialkoxy-4-oxo-1, 4-dihydroquinoline-3-carbonitriles. Chlorination (POCl(3)) followed by the reaction with substituted anilines furnished the 4-anilino-6, 7-dialkoxyquinoline-3-carbonitrile inhibitors of EGF-R kinase. An alternate synthesis of these compounds starts with a methyl 3, 4-dialkoxybenzoate. Nitration followed by reduction (Fe, NH(4)Cl, MeOH-H(2)O) gave a methyl 2-amino-4,5-dialkoxybenzoate. Amidine formation using DMF-acetal followed by cyclization using LiCH(2)CN furnished a 6,7-dialkoxy-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carbonitrile, which was transformed as before. Compounds containing acid, ester, amide, carbinol, and aldehyde groups at the 3-position of the quinoline ring were also prepared for comparison, as were several 1-anilino-6,7-dimethoxyisoquinoline-4-carbonitriles. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the autophosphorylation of the catalytic domain of EGF-R. The SAR of these inhibitors with respect to the nature of the 6,7-alkoxy groups, the aniline substituents, and the substituent at the 3-position was studied. The compounds were further evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of cell lines that overexpress EGF-R or HER-2. It was found that 4-anilinoquinoline-3-carbonitriles are effective inhibitors of EGF-R kinase with activity comparable to the 4-anilinoquinazoline-based inhibitors. A new homology model of EGF-R kinase was constructed based on the X-ray structures of Hck and FGF receptor-1 kinase. The model suggests that with the quinazoline-based inhibitors, the N3 atom is hydrogen-bonded to a water molecule which, in turn, interacts with Thr 830. It is proposed that the quinoline-3-carbonitriles bind in a similar manner where the water molecule is displaced by the cyano group which interacts with the same Thr residue.