Discovery of potent, highly selective covalent irreversible BTK inhibitors from a fragment hit

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2018 Sep 15;28(17):2939-2944. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.07.008. Epub 2018 Jul 5.

Abstract

Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) is a member of the TEC kinase family that is expressed in cells of hematopoietic lineage (e.g., in B cells, macrophages, monocytes, and mast cells). Small molecule covalent irreversible BTK inhibitor targeting Cys481 within the ATP-binding pocket, for example ibrutinib, has been applied in the treatment of B-cell malignancies. Starting from a fragment hit, we discovered a novel series of potent covalent irreversible BTK inhibitors that occupy selectivity pocket of the active site of the BTK kinase domain. Guided by X-ray structures and a fragment-based drug design (FBDD) approach, we generated molecules showing comparable cellular potency to ibrutinib and higher kinome selectivity against undesirable off-targets like EGFR.

Keywords: BTK inhibitor; Covalent; Fragment; Irreversible.

MeSH terms

  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • BTK protein, human