Improving Druggability of Novel Diarylpyrimidine NNRTIs by a Fragment-Based Replacement Strategy: From Biphenyl-DAPYs to Heteroaromatic-Biphenyl-DAPYs

J Med Chem. 2021 Jul 22;64(14):10297-10311. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00708. Epub 2021 Jul 1.

Abstract

A series of novel heteroaromatic-difluoro-biphenyl-diarylpyrimidines were designed as non-nucleoside anti-HIV inhibitors targeting reverse transcriptase by a fragment-based replacement strategy with the purpose of improving the druggability. Hopping five- or six-membered heterocycle groups on the biphenyl moiety as bioisosterism for intrinsically cyanophenyl gave 23 derivatives. All of these compounds possessed excellent HIV-1 inhibitory activity in the nanomolar range. Among them, 12g with a 4-pyridine group displayed excellent inhibitory activity toward WT and mutant HIV virus possessing significant selectivity. Moreover, this compound exhibited a decent improvement in druggability than etravirine and rilpivirine: (1) The hydrochloric acid salt of 12g exhibited significantly improved water solubility in different pH conditions. (2) 12g did not show apparent CYP enzymatic inhibitory activity or acute toxicity. (3) Excellent oral bioavailability was also revealed (F = 126%, rats) in 12g. Collectively, these novel heteroaromatic-biphenyl-DAPYs represent promising drug candidates for HIV clinical therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-HIV Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-HIV Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / metabolism
  • HIV-1 / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Microsomes, Liver / chemistry
  • Microsomes, Liver / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Pyrimidines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyrimidines / chemistry
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Pyrimidines
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase
  • pyrimidine