Piperazine derivatives for treating disorders
09932330 ยท 2018-04-03
Assignee
- The University Of Nottingham (Nottinghamshire, GB)
- Newsouth Innovations Pty Limited (New South Wales, AU)
Inventors
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Y02A50/30
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
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A61K31/506
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C07D405/12
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Abstract
Anti-angiogenic treatments, treatments of hyperpermeability disorders, treatments of neuropathic and neurodegenerative disorders, pain treatments, methods of reducing the risk of pre-eclampsia and compounds for use in such methods are described.
Claims
1. A method of treating pain, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a compound of Formula (I) ##STR00110## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; wherein: n=1, 2, 3 or 0; R.sub.1=a 4- to 8-membered carbocyclic group, which may have one or more substituent; a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group comprising one oxygen atom, which may have one or more substituent; a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group comprising one nitrogen atom, which may have one or more substituent, a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom which may have one or more substituent; a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group comprising two nitrogen atoms which may have one or more substituent; a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group comprising three nitrogen atoms which may have one or more substituent, or a condensed aromatic heterocyclic group, which may have one or more substituent; XCH, NH or N; YCH, NH or N; ZO, S, N or NH; and R.sub.2H, a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; a phenyl group; a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group; or a condensed aromatic heterocyclic group, each of which may have one or more substituent.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein n=1, 2, 3 or 0; R.sub.1=a 4- to 8-membered carbocyclic group, which may have one or more substituent; a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group having one nitrogen atom, which may have one or more substituent, a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group comprising one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom which may have one or more substituent, or a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group comprising two nitrogen atoms which may have one or more substituent; XCH or N; YCH or N; ZO, S or NH; and R.sub.2=a phenyl group; a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group or a condensed aromatic heterocyclic group.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.1 represents a 4- to 8- membered heterocyclic group comprising one nitrogen atom, which may have one or more substituent.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.1 represents a 6-membered heteroaromatic group comprising one nitrogen atom, which may have one or more substituent.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.1 represents a 2-, 3- or 4-pyridyl group, each of which may have one or more substituent.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.1 represents a pyrimidinyl group, which may have one or more substituent.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.1 represents a 4- to 8-membered carbocyclic group, which may have one or more substituent.
8. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.1 represents a phenyl group, which may have one or more substituent.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents a nitrogen- or oxygen-containing 4- to 8-membered heteroaromatic ring, which may have one or more substituent.
10. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents a nitrogen-containing 4- to 8-membered heteroaromatic ring, which may have one or more substituent.
11. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents a 2- or 3- or 4-pyridyl group, each of which may have one or more substituent.
12. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents an oxygen-containing 4- to 8- membered heterocyclic ring, which may have one or more substituent.
13. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents a 4- to 8-membered carbocyclic group, which may have one or more substituent.
14. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents a phenyl group, which may have one or more substituent.
15. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents H, or C.sub.1-6 alkyl which may have one or more substituent.
16. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents a methyl group, which may have one or more substituent.
17. A method according to claim 1, wherein R.sub.2 represents a tetrahydropyranyl group, which may have one or more substituent.
18. A method according to claim 1, wherein: XYCH and ZO; XYCH and ZS; XYN and ZO; or XN, YCH, and ZO.
19. A method according to claim 1, wherein n=1 or 2.
20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pain comprises non-inflammatory neuropathic or nociceptive pain.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
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METHODS
(30) Synthetic Protocol
(31) The general synthetic protocol for compounds is shown in Scheme 1 below, with an exemplary synthesis for compound 12, also referred to herein as SPHINX31, shown in Scheme 2 below. These compounds can be synthesized in a variety of ways, but this is the shortest and most efficient. Variations of this protocol to synthesize other compounds described herein are within the wherewithal of the skilled person.
(32) ##STR00003##
(33) ##STR00004##
SPHINX31 Experimental
t-Butyl 4-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)piperazine-1-carboxylate (3)
(34) ##STR00005##
(35) 2-(Chloromethyl)pyridine hydrochloride (2) (1.97 g, 10.58 mmol) was added as a solid in one portion to a suspension of 1-Bocpiperazine (1) (2.24 g, 13.67 mmol) and potassium carbonate (4.98 g, 36.02 mmol) in anhydrous DMF (12 mL) at room temperature. The suspension was stirred at room temperature for 16 hours then poured onto saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution. The mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (3). The organic extracts were combined and washed with water and brine, then dried (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the crude product purified by flash chromatography on deactivated silica gel, eluting with 60% ethyl acetate/n-hexane, to afford the product (3) as a colourless gum (2.98 g, 98%), with all analytical material matching that reported in the literature (E. Carceller, M. Merlos, M. Giral, C. Almansa, J. Bartroli, J. Garcia-Rafanell J. Forn; J. Med. Chem., 1993, 36, 2984-2997). .sup.1H NMR (300 MHz; CDCl.sub.3) 1.44 (s, 9H), 2.42-2.45 (m, 4H), 3.43-3.46 (m, 4H), 3.65 (s, 2H), 7.14-7.18 (m, 1H), 7.38 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.61-7.67 (m, 1H), 8.55-8.57 (m, 1H).
1-(Pyridin-2-ylmethyl)piperazine (4)
(36) ##STR00006##
(37) Trifluoroacetic acid (21.5 mL, 280.96 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of Boc-piperazine (3) (2.98 g, 10.76 mmol) in dichloromethane (21.5 mL) at 0 C. (ice). The solution was stirred at 0 C. for 10 min then the cold bath was removed and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours. The solution was neutralised to pH 9 using saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution. The dichloromethane layer was removed and the remaining aqueous solution was extracted with dichloromethane (2). The organic extracts were combined and washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution, water and brine, then dried (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product (4) as a light yellow oil (1.91 g, 99%), which was of sufficient purity to use in the next step, with all analytical data matching that reported in the literature (E. Carceller, M. Merlos, M. Giral, C. Almansa, J. Bartroli, J. Garcia- Rafanell, J. Forn J. Med. Chem., 1993, 36, 2984-2997). .sup.1H NMR (300 MHz; CDCl.sub.3) 1.95 (s, 1H), 2.44-2.47 (m, 4H), 2.88-2.91 (m, 4H), 3.62 (s, 2H), 7.13 (dd, 7.6 and 1.2 Hz, 1H), 7.38 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.59-7.65 (m, 1H), 8.52-8.55 (m, 1H).
1-(2-Nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-4-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)piperazine (5)
(38) ##STR00007##
(39) A solution of piperazine (4) (7.01 g, 39.56 mmol), 4-chloro-3-nitrobenzotrifluoride (6) (6.1 mL, 41.51 mmol) and solid sodium bicarbonate (8.31 g, 98.91 mmo) in anhydrous THF (39.5 mL) was heated reflux for 16 hours. The solution was allowed to cool to room temperature and the reaction solution was filtered through a short pad of Celite, eluting with ethyl acetate. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product (5) as an orange gum (10.72 g, 74%), which was of sufficient purity to use in the next step. On occasion when the crude product was impure it could be purified by flash chromatography on deactivated silica gel, eluting with 2% methanol/ethyl acetate to afford the product. .sup.1H NMR (500 MHz CDCl.sub.3) 2.67-2.69 (m, 4H), 320-3.22 (m, 4H), 3.73 (s, 2H), 7.15 (d, J=8.8 Hz, 1H), 7.17-7.20 (m, 1H), 7.39 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.63-7.68 (m, 2H), 8.03 (br s, 1H), 8.59 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H); .sup.13C NMR (75 MHz; CDCl.sub.3) 50.9, 52.9, 64.5, 120.6, 122.1 (q, J.sub.C-F=34.7 Hz), 122.4, 123.4 (q, J.sub.C-F=270.8 Hz), 123.5, 124.3 (q, J.sub.C-F=3.9 Hz), 130.2 (q, J.sub.C-F=3.5 Hz), 136.6, 140.6, 148.1, 149.6, 158.0; IR (NaCl, neat) 1625 cm.sup.1; HRMS (ESI-MS): m/z calcd for C.sub.17H.sub.17F.sub.3N.sub.4O.sub.2Na [M+Na].sup.+ 389.1201, found 389.1185.
2-(4-(Pyridin-2-ylmethyl)piperazin1-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)aniline (7)
(40) ##STR00008##
(41) Hydrazine hydrate (35.5 mL, 731.84 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of piperazine (5) (10.72 g, 29.25 mmol), iron(III) chloride hexahydrate (1.59 g, 5.87 mmol) and charcoal (1.17 g) in methanol (290 mL) at room temperature. The solution was heated at reflux for 2 hours. The solution was allowed to cool to room temperature then filtered through a short pad of Celite, eluting with ethyl acetate. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The residue was diluted with water and extracted with ethyl acetate (3). The organic extracts were combined and dried (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product 7 as a white solid (9.35 g, 95%), which was of sufficient purity to use in the next step. Mp 126-1.27 C.; .sup.1H NMR (300 MHz; CDCl.sub.3) 2.67-2.69 (m, 4H), 2.97-3.00 (m, 4H), 3.74 (s, 2H), 4.07 (br s, 2H), 6.92-7.04 (m, 3H), 7.16-7.20 (m, 1H), 7.44 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.64-7.70 (m, 1H), 8.57-8.60 (m, 1H); .sup.13C NMR (75 MHz; CDCl.sub.3) 50.7, 54.0, 64.8, 111.6 (q, J=3.9 Hz), 115.5 (q, J=4.1 Hz), 119.7, 122.3, 123.4, 124.6 (q, J.sub.C-F=271.2 Hz), 126.5 (q, J.sub.C-F=32.2 Hz), 136.6, 141.7, 142.2, 149.5, 158.5; IR (NaCl, neat) 3187, 3283 cm.sup.1; HRMS (ESI-MS): m/z calcd for C.sub.17H.sub.20F.sub.3N.sub.4 [M+Na].sup.+ 337.1594.
Methyl 5-bromofuran-2-carboxylate (8)
(42) ##STR00009##
(43) Concentrated sulfuric acid (0.56 mL, 10.51 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of carboxylic acid (9) (20.0 g, 0.105 mol) in methanol (1050 mL) at room temperature. The solution was heated at reflux for 17 hours. The solution was allowed to cool to room temperature and the methanol was removed under reduced pressure. The residue was diluted with water and the pH of the solution was adjusted to pH 9 using solid sodium bicarbonate. The mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (3). The organic extracts were combined and washed with water and brine, then dried (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product 8 as a white solid (19.47 g, 91%), which was of sufficient purity to use in the next step, with all analytical data matching that reported in the literature (Y. Zhu, H. Yan, L. Lu, D. Liu, G. Rong, J. Mao J. Org. Chem., 2013, 78, 9898-9905). Mp 67-68 C.; .sup.1H NMR (300 MHz; CDCl.sub.3) 3.90 (s, 3H), 6.46 (d, J=3.5 Hz, 1H), 7.13 (d, J=3.5 Hz, 1H).
Methyl 5-(pyridin-4-yl)furan-2-carboxylate (10)
(44) ##STR00010##
(45) A flask was charged with ester 8 (2.17 g, 10.58 mmol), 4-pyridinylboronic acid (II) (1.00 g, 8.14 mmol), PdCl.sub.2(PPh.sub.3).sub.2 (0.29 g, 0.41 mmol), 2 M aqueous sodium carbonate solution (10.2 mL, 22.4 mmol) and 1,2-dimethoxyethane (81 mL). The flask was freeze-pump-thawed (3), backfilled with argon and heated at reflux for 17 hours. The solution was cooled to room temperature and the DME was removed under reduced pressure. The pH of the residue was adjusted to pH 1 using 2 M aqueous hydrochloric acid solution. The solution was extracted with dichloromethane (3). The dichloromethane extracts were discarded. The remaining aqueous solution was neutralised to pH 9 using solid sodium bicarbonate and extracted with ethyl acetate (3). The respective organic extracts were combined and washed with water and brine, then dried (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product 10 as a white solid (1.41 g, 85%), which was of sufficient purity to use in the next step, with all analytical data matching that reported in the literature (H. Y. Fu, H. Doucet, Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2011, 7163-7173). Mp 95-97 C.; .sup.1H NMR (400 MHz; CDCl.sub.3) 3.94 (s, 3H), 6.95 (d, J3.6 Hz, 1H), 7.27 (d, J=3.5 Hz, 1H), 7.62-7.64 (m, 2H), 8.66-8.68 (m, 2H).
N-(2-(4-(Pyridin-2-ylmethyl)piperazin-1-yl)-5-trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-5-(pyridin-4-yl)furan-2-carboxamide (SPHINX31) (12)
(46) ##STR00011##
(47) A 2M solution of trimethylaluminium in toluene (0.84 mL, 1.68 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of aniline 7 (0.189 g, 0.56 mmol) in dichloromethane (1.1 mL) at room temperature. The solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour after which, a solution of ester 10 (0.114 g, 0.56 mmol) in dichloromethane (0.6 mL) was added dropwise at room temperature. The reaction solution was stirred at room temperature for an additional 16 hours. To quench the reaction saturated aqueous Rochelle's salt solution was added dropwise at room temperature and the solution allowed to stir at room temperature for a further 15 minutes. The mixture was diluted with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution and extracted with dichloromethane (3). The organic extracts were combined and washed with water and brine, then dried (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4). The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford the product as a white solid (0.19 g, 67%), which was of sufficient purity to use in the next step. On occasion when the crude product was impure it could be purified by flash chromatography on deactivated silica gel, eluting with 5% methanol/ethyl acetate to afford the product. Mp 157-159 C.; .sup.1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl.sub.3) 2.85 (br, s, 4H), 3.04 (br s, 4H), 3.78 (s, 2H), 7.06 (d, J=3.7 Hz, 1H), 7.20 (m, 1H), 7.31-7.41 (m, 4H), 7.65-7.72 (m, 3H), 8.60 (d, J=4.5 Hz, 1H), 8.80-8.87 (m, 3H), 9.65 (br s, 1H); .sup.C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl.sub.3) 52.2, 54.5, 65.0, 111.3, 116.7 (q, J.sub.C-F=4.5 Hz), 117.7, 118.5, 121.1, 121.3 (q, J.sub.C-F=4.5 Hz), 122.5, 123.5, 124.1 (q, J.sub.C-F=272 Hz), 128.0 (q, J.sub.C-F=34 Hz), 133.5, 136.7, 148.6, 149.7, 150.8, 153.2, 155.7, 157.9; HRMS (ESI): Calcd for C.sub.27H.sub.24F.sub.3N.sub.5O.sub.2 (MH+) 508.19603, found 508.19315; IR: (neat) 1669, 3332 cm.sup.1
(48) Analytical data For all compounds is presented in Table 4.
(49) In Vitro Kinase Assay
(50) Candidate compounds were screened by the Kinase-Glo assay (Promega; Koresawa and Okabe, 2004), the results of which are shown in Table 1 and Table 2. A reaction buffer containing 9.6 mM MOPS pH7 and 0.2 nM EDTA Ph8 was added to 10 M SRSF1 RS peptide (NH.sub.2-RSPSSYGRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSNSRSRSYOH (SEQ ID NO: 1)) and 0.1 g of purified SRPK1 kinase. Candidate compounds were serially diluted from 10 M-0.5 nM and added to the reaction mixture, wells with omitted SRPK1 kinase and omitted compounds were also added as controls. All wells contained one percent DMSO. One micromolar ATP was added, wells minus ATP were used as background controls. The plate was then incubated at 30 C. for 10 minutes. An equal volume of Kinase-Glo (Promega, 25 l) was added to each well and the plate read for luminescence using an Fluostar Optima (BMG Labtech).
(51) Inhibition of SRSF1 Phosphorylation.
(52) Denys Drash podocytes, also referred to as DDS cells (DDS=Denys Drash Syndrome), with a WTI mutant that fails to repress SRPK1 expression, were treated with increasing concentrations of SPHINX31, or reference compounds SPHINX7 or SPHINX.
(53) Both whole cell lysate (nuclear and cytoplasmic) protein extraction and nuclear protein extracts were used. The extracts were then immunoblotted using either mouse anti-SRPK1 (anti-SRPK1;BD 611072; 1:1000), rabbit anti-panVEGF (Santa Cruz A20 sc-152; 1:500), mouse anti-VEGF.sub.xxxb (MAB3045; R&D; 1:500), goat anti-SRSF1 (SC10255; 1:500), mouse anti-SRSF1 (AK96) (Santa Cruz SC-33562) or rabbit anti-GAPDH (Sigma G9545, 1:2000). For immunoprecipitation phospho-SRSF1 studies, cell lysates were incubated with mouse anti-SRSF1 (Santa Cruz SC-33562) or anti-Pan-phospho-SR antibody (Santa Cruz, SC-13509) and Protein G Dynabeads (Invitrogen). To detect phosphorylated SRSF1, the eluent was immunoblotted with either anti-SRSF1 or the anti-Pan-phospho-SR antibody (1:500).
(54) PC3 prostate cancer cells were treated with 10 nM EGF in the presence of either DMSO (Vehicle), compound 12 (SPHINX31) or reference compounds at 10 M for 1 hr. Cells were lysed, and subjected to immunoblotting as described above.
(55) Laser Lesion Induction Protocol
(56) Six to eight week-old C57/B6 mice (B & K Laboratories) and adult Norway-Brown rats (Harlan Laboratories) were anaesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of a mixture of 50 mg/kg ketamine and 0.5 mg/kg medetomidine. The pupils were dilated with 2.5% phenylephrine hydrochloride and 1% tropicamide. Four photocoagulation lesions were delivered with a krypton red laser (Mice: 250 mW, 0.01 s, 75 m, Rats: 200 mW, 0.01 s, 75 m, IRIS Medical 810 nm Oculight Six laser) between the retinal vessels in a peripapillary distribution at a distance of 1-2 disc-diameters in each eye. Only laser lesions with a subretinal bubble at the time of treatment were included in the study. Immediately following laser photocoagulation the animals either received intravitreal injections in both eyes (day 0 and day 7), or given topical eye drops twice daily of reference compounds SRPIN340, SPHINX7 or SPHINX31 in one eye and control vehicle in the other eye. Animals were culled on either day 4 or day 14 and eyes were either unfixed for retinal dissection and protein extraction, or fixed and enucleated and choroids stained for isolectin-B4 and examined, or imaged by fluorescein angiography.
(57) During topical administration tests compounds were made up into a gel based drug delivery vehicle to aid duration of drug exposure to the eye (Doukas et al., 2008), 0.05% DMSO was used to dissolve the compound before it was added to control vehicle.
(58) hERG Inhibition
(59) Compounds were tested for inhibition of the human ether a go-go related gene (hERG) K.sup.+ channel using IonWorks patch clamp electrophysiology. 8-Point concentration-response curves were generated using 3-fold serial dilutions (Essen Biosciences).
(60) Differential Scanning fluorimetry was performed as described in Federov et al (2011).
(61) Isoform specific ELISA was performed as described in Varey et al (2008) and Carter et al (2014).
(62) Scleral permeability was measured using a modified Ussing chamber assembly in isotonic assay buffer (pH 7.4). Rabbit or porcine excised eye tissues were mounted in the chambers such that the episcleral side faced the donor chamber and the retinal side faced the receiver chamber. The chambers were filled with equal volumes of assay buffer, with (donor side) or without (receiver side) 1 g/ml compound. After 4 or 24 hours tissue was removed from the chamber and the receiver side (vitreous) sampled. Tissue was dissected into sclera, choroid/RPE, and retina and homogenised. A tracer (SPHINX7) was added, and tissue extracted by acetonitrile extraction as described in Gammons et al (2013), Compounds were then analysed by mass spectrometry as described in Gammons et al (2013).
(63) Rabbit Pharmacokinetic Study
(64) Rabbits were treated thrice daily for six days, with 50 g SPHINX31 in one eye and 50 g pazopanib as 200 l eye drops. Rabbits were killed 12 hours after the last eye drop, blood and liver taken, and the retina dissected from the choroid/sclera, incisions male, and laid out flat, and photographs taken. Both eye compartments were dissected into 17 different areas. All samples were weighted. Compound was extracted by reverse phase extraction from the retina and choroid/sclera samples and the liver and plasma as above, and amount determined by mass spectrometry in different areas of the eye, in the blood and in the liver. Amounts per gram of tissue were calculated for SPHINX31 and pazopanib for each sample, and averaged.
(65) Mouse Electroretinography Toxicity Test.
(66) Mice were treated for six days with 2 g per eye SPHINX31 as eye drops, and ERG carried out using a Micron IV Ganzfield ERG system as recommended by the manufacturers instructions.
(67) Melanin Binding Assay
(68) 10 g/ml SPHINX31 or pazopanib were incubated in 10 g/ml melanin for 1hr at 37 C. Solutions were then spun at 15 kg for 15 mins and supernatant collected and compounds extracted in acetonitrile. They were then subjected to mass spectometry for quantitation.
Results
(69) Identification of Novel SRPK1 Inhibitors
(70) To identify novel SRPK1 inhibitors, a range of inhibitors were screened in an in vitro kinase assay (Promega; Koresawa and Okabe, 2004). The previously identified SRPK inhibitors SPHINX and SPHINX7 were used as positive controls for the identification of novel candidates. Kinase assays showed that compounds 12 to 14 in Table 1 (termed SPHINX31-33 respectively) had a 10-20 fold increase in potency compared with the previously reported compounds, resulting in IC.sub.50 values of 3.2-17 nM (
(71) A structure activity relationship study to identify the mechanism and potential for new compounds was undertaken, with new compounds generated with structures shown in Table 2. Additional activity was reached with these compounds down to sub nM potencies for compound 61. A kinome screen of SPHINX31 against all known kinases using substrate DiscoverX binding affinity assay demonstrated that the only other kineses that showed binding were the closely related Clk1 and Clk4, which showed 27% and 14% binding at 1 M (
(72) To determine whether these compounds could inhibit SRPK1 activity in cells, Denys Drash podocytes with constitutively active SRPK1 (caused by a mutation in the SRPK1 repressor, WT1) were treated with increasing concentration of compound 12, termed SPHINX31.
(73) This was repeated in prostate cancer cells (PC3), previously shown to be sensitive to SRPK1 inhibition and again SRSF1 phosphorylation was inhibited (
(74) The effect on downstream splicing activity was also investigated, with the data showing that the compounds dose dependently switched splicing from VEGF-A.sub.165a to VEGF-A.sub.165b in Denys Drash podocytes and normal podocytes (
(75) To determine whether SPHINX31 could get across the sclera of a larger animal, rabbit sclera was clamped between two chambers and SPHINX31 or pazopanib (a VEGFR2 TKI) were added to the sclera with saline added to the bottom chamber and compounds added to the top chamber. After 0, 4 or 24 hours, the fluid from the bottom chamber (vitreous) and the retinal tissue was isolated and compounds purified by acetonitrile extraction and HPLC.
(76) We also investigated accumulation of compounds of Formula (I) in various tissues in mice following treatment with 10 l eye drop of 5 g/ml SPHINX31. Mice were killed after 30 min, 1 hr, 4 hrs, 8 hrs or 24 hrs. Eyes were removed, and eye tissues dissected. Samples were subjected to extraction with control tracer chemical added to correct for extraction efficiency and subjected to mass spectroscopy for determination of quantity of compound per mg of tissue.
(77) To determine if SPHINX31 could access the retina of an animal with a large eye a rabbit was exposed to 150 g per day SPHINX31 or pazopanib (
(78) We have previously shown that SRPK1 inhibition by SRPIN340 (IC.sub.50 1 M), or SPHINX (IC.sub.50 0.44 M) was anti-angiogenic in mouse models of choroidal neovascularisation, as eye drops with a maximum effect at 10 g/ml, as these compounds are relatively lipophilic and have high penetrance into the eye. We therefore tested the effect of SPHINX31 as an eyedrop in this same model. SPHINX31 exerted a dose dependent inhibition of choroidal neovascularisation, with greater efficacy at 2 g/ml, and an IC.sub.50 of 0.24 g/ml (
(79) Concerns have been raised that compounds in the eye may be sequestered by melanin. We therefore measured the melanin binding of the compounds, and determined that SPHINX31 was substantially less bound than pazopanib to melanin. (
(80) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 3 Compound Number Half life (mm) 12 161.50 20 17.00 21 62.50 Verapamil 11.75
(81) However, the compounds were stable in plasma (
(82) To test whether compounds of Formula (I) are safe to administer to patients we began a basic safety test of these compounds in vitro. A dose dependence of cytotoxicity to SPHINX7, SPHINX and SPHINX31 revealed that SPHINX31 had no effect, whereas reference compound SPHINX7 was toxic at doses greater than 10 M.
(83) We also tested whether these compounds could inhibit the human ether a go-go related gene (hERG) potassium channel using patch clamp electrophysiology. Novel drug candidates are typically screened for an ability to inhibit the hERG potassium channel, due to the established association between pharmacological blockade of hERG channels and drug-induced long QT syndrome and torsades de poinses arrhythmia (Hancox et al., 2008; Gintant, 2008). SPHINX did not inhibit hERG, as has previously been described (Gammons et al., 2013).
(84) Plasma level of all compounds of Formula (I) tested during topical local application to the eye were extremely low (below detection level of 1 pM) and consequently substantial hERG channel block in the heart is unlikely to occur during in vivo use of these compounds as eye drops. The finding that known compounds SRPIN340 and SPHINX do not inhibit hERG suggests that it is possible to have significant pharmacological actions against SRPK1 without substantial hERG activity, (Gammons et al, 2013). We therefore tested SPHINX31, which inhibited hERG with an IC.sub.50 of 0.3 M, 100-fold higher than its IC.sub.50 value against SRPK1 (3.2 nM) (
(85) We also tested SPHINX31 and its metabolite (termed SPHINX46, in
(86) To determine whether there was any indication of a toxic effect on nerve function normal mice were dosed with 2 g/ml SPHINX31 and electroretinography determined on a Phoenix Ganzfeld ERG system. Scotopic ERG recordings were taken in dark adapted animals following stimulation with increasing intensities of green (
(87) Off target splicing effects were also screened by examining alternative splicing of a number of genes expressed in RPE cells and no changes in generic splicing were seen (
(88) The data presented in this study shows novel small molecular weight compound inhibitors for reducing pro-angiogenic VEGF mediated CNV associated with AMD. Furthermore we have shown that the compounds of the present invention penetrate into the back of the eye in large animal models, are effective at reducing CNV following topical administration in mice, for reducing tumour cell growth and are safe on tests undertaken so far.
(89) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 1 IC.sub.50 data for compounds of Formula (I) tested in the SRPK1 inhibition assay Compound Name Structure IC.sub.50 (nM) Reference Compound SPHINX
(90) Additional compounds tested are presented in Table 2 below:
(91) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 2 IC.sub.50 data for compounds of Formula (I) tested in the SRPK1 inhibition assay Compound n R.sub.1 R.sub.2 X Y Z IC.sub.50 (nM) 15 1
(92) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Analytical data for synthesized compounds
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