Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of piperidin-4-yl amino aryl sulfonamides: novel, potent, selective, orally active, and brain penetrant 5-HT₆ receptor antagonists

J Med Chem. 2012 Nov 8;55(21):9255-69. doi: 10.1021/jm300955x. Epub 2012 Sep 28.

Abstract

Our initial findings around aryl sulfonamide series led to N-(3,5-dichloro-2-methoxyphenyl)-3-(1-methylpiperidin-4-ylamino)-4-methoxy benzenesulfonamide as potent and selective 5-HT(6) receptor (5-HT(6)R) antagonist with reasonable pharmacokinetic properties and activity in animal models of cognition. However, lack of brain penetration and P-glycoprotein liability makes this scaffold unsuitable for further development. Our goal was to identify small molecule 5-HT(6)R antagonist with adequate brain penetration, acceptable ADME properties, no P-glycoprotein, and no hERG liability. Several structural modifications including bringing conformational constraint around the sulfonamide -NH group and introduction of a heteroatom to modulate the physicochemical properties were attempted. This effort culminated in the discovery of series of novel, potent, selective, orally bioavailable, and adequately brain penetrant compounds with no hERG liability. These compounds showed activity in animal models of cognition like object recognition task and water maze and in brain microdialysis studies at lower doses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Dogs
  • Drug Design
  • ERG1 Potassium Channel
  • Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Exploratory Behavior / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Indoles / chemical synthesis
  • Indoles / pharmacokinetics
  • Indoles / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Microsomes, Liver / metabolism
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Permeability
  • Piperidines / chemical synthesis*
  • Piperidines / pharmacokinetics
  • Piperidines / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Serotonin / metabolism*
  • Serotonin Antagonists / chemical synthesis*
  • Serotonin Antagonists / pharmacokinetics
  • Serotonin Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Sulfonamides / chemical synthesis*
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacokinetics
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology

Substances

  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
  • ERG1 Potassium Channel
  • Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels
  • Indoles
  • KCNH2 protein, human
  • Piperidines
  • Receptors, Serotonin
  • Serotonin Antagonists
  • Sulfonamides
  • serotonin 6 receptor