Structure-Based Design of 2-Aminopyrazolpyrimidopyridone Derivatives as New Rearranged During Transfection (RET) Kinase Inhibitors

Chem Biol Drug Des. 2025 Jan;105(1):e70039. doi: 10.1111/cbdd.70039.

Abstract

RET (Rearranged during transfection) kinase is a validated target for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In 2020, two selective RET inhibitors, selpercatinib and pralsetinib were approved by the US FDA. However, high treatment costs and clinically acquired resistance (e.g., G810C/S/R) become the new challenges for RET-based therapies. In this work, we discovered a series of 2-aminopyrazolpyrimidopyridone RET inhibitors to overcome the V804M and G810C resistant mutations. One of the compounds, 8w, exhibited inhibitory potency against the BaF3 cells harboring CCDC6-RETV804M mutation with an IC50 value of 0.715 μM. The compound also dose-dependently suppressed the activation of RET and downstream signals. Another compound, 8s suppressed BaF3 cells harboring CCDC6-RETG810C mutation with an IC50 value of 2.91 μM. However, the poor solubility of these compounds will limit their further development. Therefore, compound 8w and 8s might be promising lead compounds for the development of novel RETV804M and RETG810C inhibitors overcoming the clinically acquired resistance.

Keywords: inhibitors; non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); rearranged during transfection (RET) kinase; resistance.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Design
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Mutation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / chemical synthesis
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret* / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret* / metabolism
  • Pyrazoles / chemistry
  • Pyrazoles / pharmacology
  • Pyridones / chemistry
  • Pyridones / pharmacology
  • Pyrimidines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyrimidines / chemistry
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
  • Pyridones
  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyrimidines