Discovery of GS-9973, a selective and orally efficacious inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase

J Med Chem. 2014 May 8;57(9):3856-73. doi: 10.1021/jm500228a. Epub 2014 Apr 29.

Abstract

Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is an attractive drug target in autoimmune, inflammatory, and oncology disease indications. The most advanced Syk inhibitor, R406, 1 (or its prodrug form fostamatinib, 2), has shown efficacy in multiple therapeutic indications, but its clinical progress has been hampered by dose-limiting adverse effects that have been attributed, at least in part, to the off-target activities of 1. It is expected that a more selective Syk inhibitor would provide a greater therapeutic window. Herein we report the discovery and optimization of a novel series of imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazine Syk inhibitors. This work culminated in the identification of GS-9973, 68, a highly selective and orally efficacious Syk inhibitor which is currently undergoing clinical evaluation for autoimmune and oncology indications.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Drug Discovery
  • Humans
  • Indazoles / administration & dosage
  • Indazoles / chemistry
  • Indazoles / pharmacology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Mice
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Pyrazines / administration & dosage
  • Pyrazines / chemistry
  • Pyrazines / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Spleen / drug effects*
  • Spleen / enzymology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • 6-(1H-indazol-6-yl)-N-(4-morpholinophenyl)imidazo(1,2-a)pyrazin-8-amine
  • Indazoles
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyrazines
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Associated data

  • PDB/4PUZ
  • PDB/4PV0