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207
are more stable in HLM.19 Indeed, the equipotent, matched 1,3,4-
oxadiazole analog 14 of 13 is more polar than 13 (cLogP values
are 0.98 and 1.88, respectively). However, interestingly, 14 was
less stable than 13 in the same HLM assay. The 1,2,4-oxadiazole
analog 13, which possessed excellent Caco-2 permeability (Pc
(pH 6.5) >300 nm/s), showed the best pharmacokinetic properties
and displayed the highest oral exposure and bioavailability in rats
amongst this series of compounds. This compound also exhibited
activity against M- and T-tropic viruses in cell culture at nanomo-
lar concentrations. However, inhibitor 13 was predicted to be a
high clearance compound in human based on its half-life of
17 min in human liver microsomes, and thus further characteriza-
tion of this molecule was not pursued.
tween this acid chloride and benzoylpiperazine afforded the
pivotal intermediate 34, which was derivatized to the various 5-
membered C7-heterocycle analogs, for example, the oxadiazole
13 and the tetrazole 16, under conventional conditions. Com-
pounds 3 to 9 were synthesized via Stille or Suzuki coupling under
standard conditions using the 7-bromo counterpart of 34 as the
key intermediate. The 4-methoxy and (R)-methylpiperazine ana-
logs compiled in Table 5 were prepared in a similar manner.
References and notes
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In summary, potent inhibitors of HIV-1 attachment were ob-
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at the C7 position of the lead indole-based compound 2. Many
inhibitors, for example, compounds 3 to 16, showed sub-nanomolar
to picomolar potency in the primary cell-based assay using a JRFL-
pseudotyped virus. Much improved activity against M- and T-tropic
viruses in cell culture compared to 2 was also demonstrated. Phar-
macokinetic studies of this class of inhibitors in rats indicated that
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these C7-heteroaryl-indole analogs showed substantially improved
IV clearance and half-life in rats compared to 2. Importantly, these
compounds maintained the ligand efficiency LE of 2 despite an in-
crease in molecular size and also exhibited high lipophilic efficiency
as measured by LLE and LELP. These studies also highlight that im-
proved lipophilic efficiency is better achieved through structural
changes in an area of a molecule that is engaged in specific interac-
tions with the target binding site. While a candidate suitable for
development could not be identified from this indole series due
to the difficulty in balancing metabolic stability in human liver
microsomes and membrane permeability, the C7 SAR suggested
that this was an attractive position for further exploration in other
cores. These insights and subsequent optimization led to the iden-
tification of BMS-626529, a 6-azaindole analog with a C-7 hetero-
4. Doms, R. W.; Trono, D. Genes Dev. 2000, 14, 2677.
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Kadow, J. F.; Wang, H.-G. H.; Lin, P.-F. Curr. Opin. Invest. Drugs 2006, 7, 721.
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H.-G. H.; Rose, R.; Yamanaka, G.; Robinson, B.; Li, C.-B.; Fridell, R.; Deminie, C.;
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Meanwell, N. A.; Wallace, O. B.; Wang, H.; Deshpande, M.; Pearce, B. C.; Trehan,
A.; Yeung, K.-S.; Qiu, Z.; Wright, J. J. K.; Robinson, B. A.; Gong, Y.-F.; Wang, H.-G.
H.; Blair, W. S.; Shi, P.-Y.; Lin, P.-F. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2009, 19, 5136; Part
4: (d) Wang, T.; Kadow, J. F.; Zhang, Z.; Yin, Z.; Gao, Q.; Wu, D.; Digiugno Parker,
D.; Yang, Z.; Zadjura, L.; Robinson, B. A.; Gong, Y.-F.; Blair, W. S.; Shi, P.-Y.;
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2012, 22 accepted for publication.
aryl substituent that was advanced to clinical studies as
a
phosphonoxymethyl prodrug, BMS-663068.9,10
The syntheses of compounds 13 and 16 were accomplished by
the routes shown in Scheme 1 which are representative of the syn-
theses of the series of 5-membered C7-heterocycle analogs that
have been described.20 Accordingly, 7-bromo-4-fluoroindole 31
was converted to the 7-cyano analog 32, which underwent Fri-
edel–Crafts acylation to provide the acid chloride 33. Coupling be-
8. Hanna, G. J.; Lalezari, J.; Hellinger, J. A.; Wohl, D. A.; Nettles, R.; Persson, A.;
Krystal, M.; Lin, P.; Colonno, R.; Grasela, D. M. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
2011, 55, 722.
9. (a) Nettles, R.; Schurmann, D.; Zhu, L.; Stonier, M.; Huang, S.-P.; Chien, C.;
Krystal, M.; Wind-Rotolo, M.; Bertz, R.; Grasela, D. Abstract 49, 18th Conference
Retroviruses Opportunistic Infections, Boston, MA, Feb 27–Mar 2, 2011.; (b)
Nettles, R.; Schürmann, D.; Zhu, L.; Stonier, M.; Huang, S.-P.; Chang, I.; Chien, C.;
Krystal, M.; Wind-Rotolo, M.; Ray, N.; Hanna, G. J.; Bertz, R.; Grasela, D. M. J.
Infect. Dis. 2012, 206, 1002.
10. Kadow, J. F.; Ueda, Y.; Connolly, T. P.; Wang, T.; Chen, C. P.; Yeung, K.-S.; Bender,
J.; Yang, Z.; Zhu, J.; Matiskella, J.; Regueiro-Ren, A.; Yin, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Farkas, M.;
Yang, X.; Wong, H.; Smith, D.; Raghaven, K. S.; Pendri, Y.; Staab, A.;
Soundararajan, N.; Meanwell, N.; Zheng, M.; Parker, D. D.; Adams, S.; Ho, H.-
T.; Yamanaka, G.; Nowicka-Sans, B.; Eggers, B.; McAuliffe, B.; Fang, H.; Fan, L.;
Zhou, N.; Gong, Y.-F.; Colonno, R. J.; Lin, P.-F.; Brown, J.; Grasela, D. M.; Chen, C.;
Nettles, R. E. 241th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Anaheim, CA, United
States, Mar 27–31, 2011; MEDI-29.
11. The EC50 of test compounds in the single cycle infectivity assay against HIV
JRFL pseudotyped virus and the CC50 of the inhibitors were determined as
previously described in Ref. 6. Data reported were the means of two or more
experiments.
12. Molecular conformation as well as tautomeric form can have significant impact
on the lipophilicity calculations. The three tautomeric pairs of triazole analogs
O
Cl
F
F
F
O
a
b
O
+
N
N
H
N
H
HN
N
H
Br
CN
CN
31
32
33
O
O
N
N
O
O
N
O
N
O
F
F
c
d
e
13
N
H
N
H
35
f
CN
H2N
N
34
16
OH
15 and 27 and their cLogP and ACDLogDpH
values are shown below, and
6.5
those of T2 weere used in this paper. Tautomeric imidazole and tetrazole
analogs do not show a marked difference in calculated lipophilicity. This trend
of triazole T3 being more polar than T1 and T2 is consistent with the reported
general trend that 1,3,4-oxadiazoles being about 1 unit lower in LogP than
1,2,4-oxadiazoles; see Ref. 19.
Scheme 1. Synthesis of compounds 13 and 16. Reagents and conditions: (a) CuCN,
DMF, 145 °C, 17 h; (b) (ClCO)2, CH2Cl2, reflux, 3 days; (c) i-Pr2EtN, THF, rt, 16 h;
(d) HONH2ÁHCl, Et3N, EtOH, rt, 36 h; (e) HC(OEt)3 105 °C, 16 h; (f) NaN3, NH4Cl,
DMF, 85 °C; 12 h.