Discovery of N-((3 S,4 S)-4-(3,4-Difluorophenyl)piperidin-3-yl)-2-fluoro-4-(1-methyl-1 H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (Hu7691), a Potent and Selective Akt Inhibitor That Enables Decrease of Cutaneous Toxicity

J Med Chem. 2021 Aug 26;64(16):12163-12180. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00815. Epub 2021 Aug 10.

Abstract

Rash is one of the primary dose-limiting toxicities of Akt (protein kinase B) inhibitors in clinical trials. Here, we demonstrate the inhibition of Akt2 isozyme may be a driver for keratinocyte apoptosis, which promotes us to search for new selective Akt inhibitors with an improved cutaneous safety property. According to our previous research, compound 2 is selected for further optimization for overcoming the disadvantages of compound 1, including high Akt2 inhibition and high toxicity against HaCaT keratinocytes. The dihedral angle-based design and molecular dynamics simulation lead to the identification of Hu7691 (B5) that achieves a 24-fold selectivity between Akt1 and Akt2. Hu7691 exhibits low activity in inducing HaCaT apoptosis, promising kinase selectivity, and excellent anticancer cell proliferation potencies. Based on the superior results of safety property, pharmacokinetic profile, and in vivo efficacy, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved the investigational new drug (IND) application of Hu7691.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Benzamides / chemistry
  • Benzamides / metabolism
  • Benzamides / therapeutic use*
  • Benzamides / toxicity
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Dogs
  • Exanthema / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Keratinocytes / drug effects
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neoplasms / complications
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / toxicity
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Pyrazoles / chemistry
  • Pyrazoles / metabolism
  • Pyrazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrazoles / toxicity
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Benzamides
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyrazoles
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt