Novel Human Urate Transporter 1 Inhibitors as Hypouricemic Drug Candidates with Favorable Druggability

J Med Chem. 2020 Oct 8;63(19):10829-10854. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00223. Epub 2020 Sep 21.

Abstract

Lesinurad, a human urate transporter 1 (URAT1) inhibitor approved as a medication for the treatment of hyperuricemia associated with gout in 2015, can cause liver and renal toxicity. Here, we modified all three structural components of lesinurad by applying scaffold hopping, bioisosterism, and substituent-decorating strategies. In a mouse model of acute hyperuricemia, 21 of the synthesized compounds showed increased serum uric acid (SUA)-reducing activity; SUA was about 4-fold lower in animals treated with 44, 54, and 83 compared with lesinurad or benzbromarone. In the URAT1 inhibition assay, 44 was over 8-fold more potent than lesinurad (IC50: 1.57 μM vs 13.21 μM). Notably, 83 also displayed potent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 31.73 μM) against GLUT9. Furthermore, we also preliminarily explored the effect of chirality on the potency of the promising derivatives 44 and 54. Compounds 44, 54, and 83 showed favorable drug-like pharmacokinetics and appear to be promising candidates for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Gout / drug therapy*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Hyperuricemia / drug therapy*
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Mice
  • Organic Anion Transporters / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Organic Cation Transport Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Rats
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Uricosuric Agents / chemistry
  • Uricosuric Agents / pharmacology*
  • Uricosuric Agents / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Organic Anion Transporters
  • Organic Cation Transport Proteins
  • SLC22A12 protein, human
  • Uricosuric Agents