10.1021/jm100541c
The research focuses on the development of a dual orexin receptor antagonist for treating insomnia. The study began with compound 4, a diazepane-based orexin receptor antagonist, which had excellent brain penetration and potency but suffered from high clearance and low bioavailability. Efforts to improve its pharmacokinetics led to the identification of compound 10 with a 7-methyl substitution on the diazepane core, which displayed good potency, improved pharmacokinetics, and excellent in vivo efficacy. However, compound 10 formed reactive metabolites in microsomal incubations. A mechanistic hypothesis and an in vitro assay to assess bioactivation led to the replacement of the fluoroquinazoline ring of 10 with a chlorobenzoxazole to provide 3 (MK-4305), a potent dual orexin receptor antagonist that is currently being tested in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of primary insomnia. Chemicals such as 2-(2H-1,2,3-triazol-2-yl)-5-methylbenzoic acid, 2,5-dichloro-1,3-benzoxazole, and various diazepane cores played crucial roles in the synthesis and optimization of these compounds.