The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a nuclear receptor that acts as a master regulator of bile acid metabolism and signaling. Activation of FXR inhibits bile acid synthesis and increases bile acid conjugation, transport, and excretion, thereby protecting the liver from the harmful effects of bile accumulation, leading to considerable interest in FXR as a therapeutic target for the treatment of cholestasis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. We identified a novel series of highly potent non-bile acid FXR agonists that introduce a bicyclic nortropine-substituted benzothiazole carboxylic acid moiety onto a trisubstituted isoxazole scaffold. Herein, we report the discovery of 1 (tropifexor, LJN452), a novel and highly potent agonist of FXR. Potent in vivo activity was demonstrated in rodent PD models by measuring the induction of FXR target genes in various tissues. Tropifexor has advanced into phase 2 human clinical trials in patients with NASH and PBC.
A high throughput screening campaign identified 5-(2-chlorophenyl)indazole compound 4 as an antagonist of the transient receptor potential A1 (TRPA1) ion channel with IC50 = 1.23 μM. Hit to lead medicinal chemistry optimization established the SAR around the indazole ring system, demonstrating that a trifluoromethyl group at the 2-position of the phenyl ring in combination with various substituents at the 6-position of the indazole ring greatly contributed to improvements in vitro activity. Further lead optimization resulted in the identification of compound 31, a potent and selective antagonist of TRPA1 in vitro (IC50 = 0.015 μM), which has moderate oral bioavailability in rodents and demonstrates robust activity in vivo in several rodent models of inflammatory pain.
An efficient method for the preparation of 1,2,5-trisubstituted 4-imidazolidinones is presented. The synthetic approach is based on the formation of an N-[1-(benzotriazol-1-yl)alkyl] moiety on the amino group of a MBHA resin-bound amino acid. The nucleophilic substitution of the benzotriazole group with an amidic nitrogen results in the formation of a five-membered imidazolidinone ring. The reaction is nonstereospecific and produces diastereomers in ratios that vary depending on the substituents on the ring. A variety of N-alpha-alkylated amino acids were cyclized with aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic aldehydes to determine optimal reaction conditions and to select building blocks for the future preparation of a large, diverse range of individual trisubstituted imidazolidinones as well as a mixture-based combinatorial library.
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