2638
J. K. Walker et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 20 (2010) 2634–2638
Table 5
Table 7
Data for pyrimidine analogs
Selected pharmacokinetic parameters for compound 1
Speciesa
Cl (ml/min/kg)
Vd (L/kg)
T1/2 (h)
H
N
N
Ratb
4.96
2.92
1.74
1.07
4.05
4.48
N R
Dogc
N
a
b
c
Compounds were dosed intraveniously (IV) at the specified doses.
5 mg/kg dose.
2.5 mg/kg dose.
Cl
N
#
R
p38aa,b p38ba,b HWBa,b rLPS % inh dosea,c,d (mpk)
39 –CH3
48
35
2320
2540
800
490
63(5); 36(1)
88(5); 80(1)
Additional profiling data of select pyrimidyl compounds from
OH
40
above are shown in Table 6. A consistent trend we observed was
that the intrinsic clearance (Clint) was lower for the pyrimidyl ser-
ies versus the pyridyl series. Most notable was the 50% reduction in
Clint observed with 39 (31.5 vs 62.3 ml/min/kg) compared to C(4)
pyridyl analog 11. The other basic analogs 40 and 43 also saw
reductions in intrinsic clearance when compared to their respec-
tive pyridine versions. This trend also was observed with the neu-
tral analogs such as 1 and 50. The switch to pyrimidine also
diminished the potential for crossover on the hERG channel as
measured by the dofetilide binding assay. Reductions in competi-
tive binding were observed with all pyrimidine analogs as com-
pared to their pyridyl versions. Neutral compounds such as 1 and
50 were significantly less active than the basic analogs. Finally,
compounds 39 and 1 showed a significant reduction in incidence
in the mCIA model. Compound 1 showed the greatest efficacy in
the model with only 16% incidence of disease at a 30 mpk dose
(administered 15 mpk bid). Additionally, 1 showed excellent met-
abolic stability as measured by the HLM assay with a T1/2 of >2 h.
Finally, pharmacokinetic experiments (Table 7.) in both the dog
and rat indicated compound 1 possessed desirable properties in
terms of half-life (rat and dog t1/2 = 5–6 h) with bioavailabilities
>80% in both species. On the basis of the data presented here as
well as previously disclosed data,5 compound 1 was selected for
advancement to clinical trials.
OH
OH
41
42
43
184
88
2780
9780
7410
ND
1000
520
0(5); ND(1)
34(5); 3(1)
31
70(5); 80(1)b
O
44
205
19
9500
3380
>5000
ND
46(5); ND(1)
70(5); 40(1)
O
OH
45
46
N
47
3290
3710
ND
ND
27(5); ND(1)
90(5); 72(1)
O
47
152
O
1
110
94
3450
3250
1500
ND
87(5); 81(1)
88(5); 71(1)
OH
O
48
OMe
O
49
88
3480
4100
ND
88(5); 53(1)
89(5); 26(1)
N
O
S
O
50
198
>5000
ND = not determined.
References and notes
a
For experimental conditions see Ref. 5
IC50’s reported in nM.
Specified dose given 4 h prior to administration of LPS.
b
c
1. Vaz, A.; Lisse, J.; Rizzo, W.; Albani, S. Expert Rev. Clin. Immunol. 2009, 5, 291.
2. Taylor, P. C.; Feldman, M. Nat. Rev. Rheumatol. 2009, 5, 578.
3. Westra, J.; Limburg, P. C.; de Boer, P.; van Rijswijk, M. H. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2004,
63, 1453.
d
%reduction in TNFa levels measured 1.5 h after LPS stimulation.
4. Schett, G.; Zwerina, J.; Firestein, G. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2008, 67, 909.
5. Burnette, B. L.; Selness, S. R.; Devraj, R.; Jungblath, G.; Kurambail, R.; Stilwell, L.;
Anderson, G.; Mnich, S.; Hirsch, J.; Compton, R.; De Ciechi, P.; Hope, H.;
Hepperle, M.; Keith, R. H.; Naing, W.; Shieh, H.; Portanova, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang,
J.; Leimgruber, R. M.; Monahan, J. Pharmacology 2009, 84, 42.
Table 6
Additional data for select C(4)-pyrimidyl compounds
6. Graneto, M. J.; Kurambail, R. G.; Vazquez, M. L.; Shieh, H.; Pawlitz, J. L.;
Williams, J. M.; Stallings, W. C.; Geng, L.; Naraian, A. S.; Koszyk, F. J.; Stealey, M.
A.; Xu, X. D.; Weier, R. M.; Hanson, G. J.; Mourey, R. J.; Compton, R. P.; Mnich, S.
J.; Anderson, G. D.; Monahan, J. B.; Devraj, R. J. Med. Chem. 2007, 50, 5712.
7. The coordinates have been deposited in the PDB under accession code 1BL7.
8. (a) Hale, K. K.; Trollinger, D.; Rihanek, M.; Manthey, C. L. J. Immunol. 1999, 162,
4252; (b) O’Keefe, S. J.; Mudgett, J. S.; Cupo, S.; Parsons, J. N.; Chartrain, N. A.;
Fitzgerald, C.; Chen, S.-L.; Lowitz, K.; Rosa, C.; Visco, D.; Luell, S.; Carballo-Jane,
E.; Owens, K.; Zaller, D. M. J. Biol. Chem. 2007, 282, 34663.
Compd #
Clint (T1/2
)
Dofb (%inh)
mCIAc (%inc)
a
39
40
43
47
1
31.5 (31.2 min)
21.4 (47.6 min)
16.3 (61.3 min)
9.5 (102 min)
<8 (>120 min)
18.1 (53.9 min)
51
46
35
ND
16
ND
20
61
50
50
16
44
50
9. (a) For a recent review on p38 selectivity see, Goldstein, D. M.; Kuglstatter, A.;
Lou, Y.; Soth, M. J. J. Med. Chem. 2010, ASAP.; (b) For recent work on defining the
active site of p38b see Patel, S. B.; Cameron, P. M.; O’Keefe, S. J.; Frantz-Wattley,
B.; Thompson, J.; O’Neill, E. A.; Tennis, T.; Liu, L.; Becker, J. W.; Scapin, G. Acta
Crystallogr., Sect. D: Biol. Crystallogr. 2009, D65, 777.
ND = not determined.
a
Human liver microsomes with clearance measured in ml/min/kg.
b
c
Test concentration was 10
lM.
Mice were dosed at 30 mpk and disease measured after 21 days.
10. (a) The Pfizer Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee reviewed and
approved the animal use in these studies. The animal care and use program is
fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of
Laboratory Animal Care, International. (b) For experimental conditions
around this model please refer to Ref. 5
11. Adams, J. L.; Boehm, J. C.; Kassis, S.; Gorycki, P. D.; Webb, E. F.; Hall, R.;
Sorenson, M.; Lee, J. C.; Ayrton, A.; Griswold, D. E.; Gallagher, T. F. Bioorg. Med.
Chem. Lett. 1998, 8, 3111.
pyridine scaffold the basic analogs performed well in the HWB as-
say while the neutral analogs were typically in the low micromolar
range.