Aclidinium bromide is a novel potent, long-acting inhaled muscarinic antagonist in development for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aclidinium showed subnanomolar affinity for the five human muscarinic receptors (M 1 -M 5 3 H]aclidinium at the M 2 receptor was shorter than at the M 3 receptor, demonstrating kinetic selectivity for the M 3 receptor. In isolated guinea pig trachea, aclidinium showed comparable potency to ipratropium and tiotropium, faster onset of action than tiotropium, and duration of action similar to tiotropium and significantly longer than ipratropium. Nebulized aclidinium inhibited bronchoconstriction induced by acetylcholine in guinea pigs in a concentrationdependent manner with an onset of action faster than tiotropium. Duration of action of aclidinium (t 1/2 ϭ 29 h) was much longer than ipratropium (8 h) but shorter than tiotropium (64 h). In dogs, aclidinium induced a smaller and more transient increase in heart rate than tiotropium at comparable supratherapeutic doses. Therefore, under these conditions, aclidinium showed a greater therapeutic index than tiotropium (4.2 versus 1.6). These results indicate that aclidinium is a potent muscarinic antagonist with a fast onset of action, a long duration of effect, and a favorable cardiovascular safety profile.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive inflammatory disease characterized by chronic airflow obstruction attributed to long-term exposure to inhaled noxious gases and particles, most often related to cigarette smoking that is not fully reversible after bronchodilator therapy (www.goldcopd.org) (Rabe et al., 2007). Recent projections from the World Health Organization predict that COPD will become the fourth most common cause of death by 2030 and the third most common cause of chronic disability by 2020 (Lopez et al., 2006;Mathers and Loncar, 2006). Acetylcholine released by parasympathetic nerves regulates airway constriction, mucus secretion, and vasodilation through its interaction with muscarinic receptors localized in smooth muscle, mucosal glands, pulmonary vasculature, and nerve endings of the lungs (Belmonte, 2005).There are five subtypes of the muscarinic receptors, M 1 to M 5 , that are members of the superfamily of G-protein-cou-

Abediterol is a novel potent, long-acting inhaled ␤ 2 -adrenoceptor agonist in development for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Abediterol shows subnanomolar affinity for the human ␤ 2 -adrenoceptor and a functional selectivity over ␤ 1 -adrenoceptors higher than that of formoterol and indacaterol in both a cellular model with overexpressed human receptors and isolated guinea pig tissue. Abediterol is a full agonist at the human ␤ 2 -adrenoceptor (E max ϭ 91 Ϯ 5% of the maximal effect of isoprenaline). The potency and onset of action that abediterol shows in isolated human bronchi (EC 50 ϭ 1.9 Ϯ 0.4 nM; t 1 ⁄2 onset ϭ 7-10 min) is not significantly different from that of formoterol, but its duration of action (t 1 ⁄2 ϳ 690 min) is similar to that of indacaterol. Nebulized abediterol inhibits acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs in a concentration-dependent manner, with higher potency and longer duration of action (t 1 ⁄2 ϭ 36 h) than salmeterol (t 1 ⁄2 ϭ 6 h) and formoterol (t 1 ⁄2 ϭ 4 h) and similar duration of action to indacaterol up to 48 h. In dogs, the bronchoprotective effect of abediterol is more sustained than that of salmeterol and indacaterol at doses without effects on heart rate, thus showing a greater safety margin (defined as the ratio of dose increasing heart rate by 5% and dose inhibiting bronchospasm by 50%) than salmeterol, formoterol, and indacaterol (5.6 versus 3.3, 2.2, and 0.3, respectively). In conclusion, our results suggest that abediterol has a preclinical profile for once-daily dosing in humans together with a fast onset of action and a favorable cardiovascular safety profile.

This study characterised the in vitro and in vivo profiles of two novel long-acting muscarinic antagonists, aclidinium bromide and glycopyrronium bromide, using tiotropium bromide and ipratropium bromide as comparators. All four antagonists had high affinity for the five muscarinic receptor sub-types (M1-M5); aclidinium had comparable affinity to tiotropium but higher affinity than glycopyrronium and ipratropium for all receptors. Glycopyrronium dissociated faster from recombinant M3 receptors than aclidinium and tiotropium but more slowly than ipratropium; all four compounds dissociated more rapidly from M2 receptors than from M3 receptors. In vitro, aclidinium, glycopyrronium and tiotropium had a long duration of action at native M3 receptors (>8 h versus 42 min for ipratropium). In vivo, all compounds were equi-potent at reversing acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstriction. Aclidinium, glycopyrronium and ipratropium had a faster onset of bronchodilator action than tiotropium. Aclidinium had a longer duration of action than glycopyronnium (time to 50% recovery of effect [t½ offset] = 29 h and 13 h, respectively); these compare with a t½ offset of 64 h and 8 h for tiotropium and ipratropium, respectively. Aclidinium was less potent than glycopyrronium and tiotropium at inhibiting salivation in conscious rats (dose required to produce half-maximal effect [ED50] = 38, 0.74 and 0.88 μg/kg, respectively) and was more rapidly hydrolysed in rat, guinea pig and human plasma compared with glycopyrronium or tiotropium. These results indicate that while aclidinium and glycopyrronium are both potent antagonists at muscarinic receptors with similar kinetic selectivity for M3 receptors versus M2, aclidinium has a longer dissociation half-life at M3 receptors and a longer duration of bronchodilator action in vivo than glycopyrronium. The rapid plasma hydrolysis of aclidinium, coupled to its kinetic selectivity, may confer a reduced propensity for systemic anticholinergic side effects with aclidinium versus glycopyrronium and tiotropium.

Rational design of a novel template of naphthyridinones rapidly led to PDE4 inhibitors with subnanomolar enzymatic potencies. X-ray crystallography confirmed the binding mode of this novel template. We achieved compounds with double-digit picomolar enzymatic potencies through further structure-based design by targeting both the PDE4 enzyme metal-binding pocket and occupying the solvent-filled pocket. A strategy for lung retention and long duration of action based on low aqueous solubility was followed. In vivo efficacies were measured in a rat lung neutrophilia model by suspension microspray and dry powder administration. Suspension microspray of potent compounds showed in vivo efficacy with a clear dose-response. Despite sustained lung levels, dry powder administration performed much less well and without proper dose-response, highlighting clear differences between the two formulations. This indicates a deficiency in the low aqueous solubility strategy for long duration lung efficacy.

Cyclic nucleotide cAMP is a ubiquitous secondary messenger involved in a plethora of cellular responses to biological agents involving activation of adenylyl cyclase. Its intracellular levels are tightly controlled by a family of cyclic nucleotide degrading enzymes, the PDEs. In recent years, cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) has aroused scientific attention as a suitable target for anti-inflammatory therapy in respiratory diseases, particularly in the management of asthma and COPD. Here we describe our efforts to discover novel, highly potent inhaled inhibitors of PDE4. Through structure based design, with the inclusion of a variety of functional groups and physicochemical profiles in order to occupy the solvent-filled pocket of the PDE4 enzyme, we modified the structure of our oral PDE4 inhibitors to reach compounds down to picomolar enzymatic potencies while at the same time tackling successfully an uncovered selectivity issue with the adenosine receptors. In vitro potencies were demonstrated in a rat lung neutrophilia model by administration of a suspension with a Penn-Century MicroSprayer Aerosolizer.

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Pruritus is a major symptom of several dermatological diseases but has limited therapeutic options available. Animal models replicating the pathophysiology of pruritus are needed to support the development of new drugs. Induction of pruritus by chloroquine (CQ) in mice is widely used, although, as with similar models, it has low throughput and does not distinguish between antipruritic effects and confounding factors such as sedation. To overcome these issues, we incorporated into the model an automated system that measures both scratching and locomotor behaviour simultaneously. We combined this system with the determination of CQ levels in different tissues to understand the impact of the route of CQ administration on the pruritogenic response. We concluded that whereas oral CQ does not induce pruritus due to insufficient skin levels, the bell-shaped curve of pruritus observed following subcutaneous administration is due to toxicity at high doses. We validated the model with several drugs currently used in humans: nalfurafine, aprepitant, cyproheptadine and amitriptyline. By comparing the effects of the drugs on both scratching and locomotor activity, we concluded that nalfurafine and aprepitant can exhibit efficacy at doses devoid of central effects, whereas central effects drove the efficacy of the other two drugs. This was further confirmed using non-brain-penetrant drugs. Moreover, as anticipated, anti-inflammatory drugs showed no efficacy. In conclusion, the use of an automated integrated behavioural assessment in CQ-induced pruritus makes the assay suitable for screening purposes and allows for a correct interpretation of the antipruritic effect of the compounds evaluated.