Discovery of Novel Pyridine-Dimethyl-Phenyl-DAPY Hybrids by Molecular Fusing of Methyl-Pyrimidine-DAPYs and Difluoro-Pyridinyl-DAPYs: Improving the Druggability toward High Inhibitory Activity, Solubility, Safety, and PK

J Med Chem. 2022 Feb 10;65(3):2122-2138. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01676. Epub 2022 Jan 24.

Abstract

A series of novel heteroaromatic biphenyl-methyl-pyrimidine analogues were designed via hybridization of privileged structures of two HIV-1 inhibitors. Among them, compound 7a containing 4-pyridinyl-phenyl and methyl-pyrimidine fragments revealed excellent wild-type HIV-1 inhibitory activity with low cytotoxicity. 7a had favorable solubility and liver microsome stability; moreover, no apparent CYP enzymatic inhibitory activity or acute toxicity was observed. However, its inhibitory activity toward mutant strains and the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles were still unsatisfactory. Further optimizations resulted in a highly potent compound 9d without methyl on the pyrimidine but a heteroaromatic dimethyl-biphenyl on the left rings of difluoro-pyridinyl-diarylpyrimidines (DAPYs). A broad-spectrum activity (EC50 = 2.0-57 nM) of 9d against resistant strains was revealed. This compound also exhibited good solubility and safety profiles and a good PK profile with an oral bioavailability of 59% in rats. Collectively, these novel heteroaromatic dimethyl-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 / chemistry*
  • Anti-HIV Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacology
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / chemistry
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / metabolism
  • Drug Design
  • Drug Resistance, Viral / drug effects
  • Drug Stability
  • Female
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / genetics
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / metabolism
  • HIV-1 / genetics
  • Half-Life
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Mutation
  • Pyridines / chemistry*
  • Pyrimidines / chemistry*
  • Solubility
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Pyridines
  • Pyrimidines
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase