Optimization of the screening hit 1 led to the identification of novel 1,5-naphthyridine aminothiazole and pyrazole derivatives, which are potent and selective inhibitors of the transforming growth factor-beta type I receptor, ALK5. Compounds 15 and 19, which inhibited ALK5 autophosphorylation with IC50 = 6 and 4 nM, respectively, showed potent activities in both binding and cellular assays and exhibited selectivity over p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. The X-ray crystal structure of 19 in complex with human ALK5 is described, confirming the binding mode proposed from docking studies.

RIP1 kinase regulates necroptosis and inflammation and may play an important role in contributing to a variety of human pathologies, including inflammatory and neurological diseases. Currently, RIP1 kinase inhibitors have advanced into early clinical trials for evaluation in inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis and neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. In this paper, we report on the design of potent and highly selective dihydropyrazole (DHP) RIP1 kinase inhibitors starting from a high-throughput screen and the leadoptimization of this series from a lead with minimal rat oral exposure to the identification of dihydropyrazole 77 with good pharmacokinetic profiles in multiple species. Additionally, we identified a potent murine RIP1 kinase inhibitor 76 as a valuable in vivo tool molecule suitable for evaluating the role of RIP1 kinase in chronic models of disease. DHP 76 showed efficacy in mouse models of both multiple sclerosis and human retinitis pigmentosa.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionarily conserved fuel-sensing enzyme that is activated in shortage of energy and suppressed in its surfeit. AMPK activation stimulates fatty acid oxidation, enhances insulin sensitivity, alleviates hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, and inhibits proinflammatory changes. Thus, AMPK is a well-received therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Here, we will report the discovery of pyrrolopyridone derivatives as AMPK direct activators. We will illustrate the synthesis and structure-activity relationships of the series as well as some pharmacokinetic results. Some compounds exhibited encouraging oral exposure and were evaluated in a mouse diabetic model. Compound 17 showed oral activity at 30 mg/kg on blood glucose.

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