Novel classes of antimalarial drugs are needed due to emerging drug resistance. Azithromycin, the first macrolide investigated for malaria treatment and prophylaxis, failed as a single agent and thus novel analogues were envisaged as the next generation with improved activity. We synthesized 42 new 9a-N substituted 15-membered azalides with amide and amine functionalities via simple and inexpensive chemical procedures using easily available building blocks. These compounds exhibited marked advances over azithromycin in vitro in terms of potency against Plasmodium falciparum (over 100-fold) and high selectivity for the parasite and were characterized by moderate oral bioavailability in vivo. Two amines and one amide derivative showed improved in vivo potency in comparison to azithromycin when tested in a mouse efficacy model. Results obtained for compound 6u, including improved in vitro potency, good pharmacokinetic parameters, and in vivo efficacy higher than azithromycin and comparable to chloroquine, warrant its further development for malaria treatment and prophylaxis.
A series
of macrocyclic calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)
receptor antagonists identified using structure-based design principles,
exemplified by HTL0028016 (1) and HTL0028125 (2), is described. Structural characterization by X-ray crystallography
of the interaction of two of the macrocycle antagonists with the CGRP
receptor ectodomain is described, along with structure–activity
relationships associated with point changes to the macrocyclic antagonists.
The identification of non-peptidic/natural product-derived, macrocyclic
ligands for a G protein coupled
receptor (GPCR) is noteworthy.
A series of tetracyclic imidazole derivatives 9a-9v and 10a-10h are prepared by multistep route starting from the known tricyclic diketones 2a-2d. Intermediary dibenzooxepin [4,5-d]imidazoles (3a, 3c) and dibenzothiepin [4,5-d]imidazoles (3b, 3d) are N-protected to 4e, 4f and to the isomeric compounds 5a, 5b and 6a, 6b. The isomeric compounds 5 and 6 are separated. Compounds 4, 5, and 6 are formylated at C(2) to afford 7a-7j. In the last steps, aldehyde group is reduced, then alkylated to the two sets of isomeric x-dimethylaminoalkyl derivatives 9a-9v. N-deprotection of 9i-9v led to the compounds 10a-10h. Assignment of the syn/anti structure to 5a and 6a was supported by 1D selective ROESY NMR spectra, whereas conformational mobility for the selected representatives 8a and 8b is studied by dynamic NMR. Activation energies (energy barriers for interconversion) are determined to be $11.5 and 16.2 kcal/mol, respectively. A series of derivatives 9 and 10 were tested in vitro for their antiinflammatory activity.
Interleukin 17 (IL-17) cytokines promote inflammatory pathophysiology in many autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Such broad involvement of IL-17 in various autoimmune diseases makes it an ideal target for drug discovery. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by numerous defective components of the immune system. Significantly higher levels of IL-17A have been noticed in lesions of psoriatic patients, if compared to non-lesion parts. Therefore, this paper is focused on the macrolide inspired macrocycles as potential IL-17A/IL-17RA modulators and covers the molecular design, synthesis, and in vitro profiling. Macrocycles are designed to diversify and enrich chemical space through different ring sizes and a variety of three-dimensional shapes. Inhibitors in the nM range were identified in both target-based and phenotypic assays. In vitro ADME as well as in vivo PK properties are reported.
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