Drugs with prolonged, on-target residence time often show superior efficacy, yet general strategies for optimizing drug-target residence time are lacking. Here, we demonstrate progress toward this elusive goal by targeting a noncatalytic cysteine in Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) with reversible covalent inhibitors. Utilizing an inverted orientation of the cysteine-reactive cyanoacrylamide electrophile, we identified potent and selective BTK inhibitors that demonstrate biochemical residence times spanning from minutes to 7 days. An inverted cyanoacrylamide with prolonged residence time in vivo remained bound to BTK more than 18 hours after clearance from the circulation. The inverted cyanoacrylamide strategy was further utilized to discover fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) kinase inhibitors with residence times of several days, demonstrating generalizability of the approach. Targeting noncatalytic cysteines with inverted cyanoacrylamides may serve as a broadly applicable platform that facilitates “residence time by design”, the ability to modulate and improve the duration of target engagement in vivo.

Experimental details for the first general methods for the one-step preparation of N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines (tert-butanesulfinimines) (2) from aldehydes and ketones is described. To effect the condensations of tert-butanesulfinamide (1) with aldehydes, the Lewis acidic dehydrating agents MgSO4, CuSO4, or Ti(OEt)4 are employed. Aldehyde condensations mediated by MgSO4 proceed in high yields (84−96%) when an excess of aldehyde is used. In contrast, only a slight excess of aldehyde (1.1 equiv) relative to tert-butanesulfinamide provides sulfinimines in high yields when the more Lewis acidic dehydrating agent CuSO4 is used. The CuSO4-mediated procedure is effective for a wide range of aldehydes, including sterically demanding aldehydes, such as isobutyraldehyde (90%), and electron-rich aldehydes, such as p-anisaldehyde (81%). The still more Lewis acidic Ti(OEt)4 and Ti(O-i-Pr)4 also afford N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines from especially unreactive aldehydes, such as pivaldehyde (82%). In addition, Ti(OEt)4 is effective for the condensation of 1 with ketones to afford a wide range of N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines in good yields (77−91%). For sulfinyl ketimines derived from methyl or n-alkyl phenyl ketones and methyl or n-alkyl isopropyl ketones, only the E isomer is detected by 1H and 13C NMR in CDCl3. For those cases where the difference in steric demand about the imine is very small, such as for 2-hexanone, high E/Z ratios are still observed (5:1).

N-tert-Butanesulfinyl aldimines 3 and ketimines 4 are exceedingly versatile intermediates for the asymmetric synthesis of amines. The N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines are prepared in high yields by condensing enantiomerically pure tert-butanesulfinamide 1, which is readily available in either configuration, with a wide range of aldehydes and ketones. The tert-butanesulfinyl group activates the imines for the addition of many different classes of nucleophiles, serves as a powerful chiral directing group, and after nucleophilic addition is readily cleaved by treatment of the product with acid. A wide range of highly enantioenriched amines, including alpha-branched and alpha,alpha-dibranched amines, alpha- and beta-amino acids, 1,2- and 1,3-amino alcohols, and alpha-trifluoromethyl amines, are efficiently synthesized using this methodology. In addition, N-tert-butanesulfinyl imine derivatives provide a new family of ligands for asymmetric catalysis.

Genetic mutation and pharmacological inhibition of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) both have been shown to prevent the development of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice, providing a rationale for the development of Btk inhibitors for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present study, we characterized a novel Btk inhibitor, 6-cyclopro-, in vitro and in rodent models of immune hypersensitivity and arthritis. We demonstrated that RN486 not only potently and selectively inhibited the Btk enzyme, but also displayed functional activities in human cell-based assays in multiple cell types, blocking Fc receptor cross-linking-induced degranulation in mast cells (IC 50 ϭ 2.9 nM), Fc␥ receptor engagement-mediated tumor necrosis factor ␣ production in monocytes (IC 50 ϭ 7.0 nM), and B cell antigen receptor-induced expression of an activation marker, CD69, in B cells in whole blood (IC 50 ϭ 21.0 nM). RN486 displayed similar functional activities in rodent models, effectively preventing type I and type III hypersensitivity responses. More importantly, RN486 produced robust anti-inflammatory and boneprotective effects in mouse CIA and rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) models. In the AIA model, RN486 inhibited both joint and systemic inflammation either alone or in combination with methotrexate, reducing both paw swelling and inflammatory markers in the blood. Together, our findings not only demonstrate that Btk plays an essential and conserved role in regulating immunoreceptor-mediated immune responses in both humans and rodents, but also provide evidence and mechanistic insights to support the development of selective Btk inhibitors as small-molecule disease-modifying drugs for RA and potentially other autoimmune diseases.

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