Discovery of a novel 2,4-dimethylquinoline-6-carboxamide M4 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) chemotype via scaffold hopping

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2017 Nov 15;27(22):4999-5001. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.10.016. Epub 2017 Oct 9.

Abstract

This Letter details our efforts to replace the 3-amino moiety, an essential pharmacophore for M4 PAM activity in most M4 PAMs to date, within the thieno[2,3-b]pyridine core, as the β-amino carboxamide motif has been shown to engender poor solubility, varying degrees of P-gp efflux and represents a structural alert. A scaffold hopping exercise identified a novel 2,4-dimethylquinoline carboxamide core that provided M4 PAM activity and good CNS penetration without an amino moiety. In addition, MacMillan photoredox catalysis chemistry was essential for construction of the 2,4-dimethylquinoline core.

Keywords: M(4); Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor; Positive allosteric modulator (PAM); Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR).

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Allosteric Regulation
  • Amides / chemical synthesis
  • Amides / chemistry*
  • Amides / pharmacokinetics
  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Half-Life
  • Protein Binding
  • Pyridines / chemistry
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M4 / chemistry
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M4 / metabolism*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Amides
  • Pyridines
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M4
  • thieno(2,3-b)pyridine