Patent Application
20210300932
The invention relates to antagonists of α4β7 integrin, and more particularly to cyclic peptide antagonists.
Integrins are transmembrane receptors that are the bridges for cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. When triggered, integrins trigger chemical pathways to the interior (signal transduction), such as the chemical composition and mechanical status of the ECM.
Integrins are obligate heterodimers, having two different chains: the α (alpha) and β (beta) subunits.
The α4β7 integrin is expressed on lymphocytes and is responsible for T-cell homing into gut-associated lymphoid tissues through its binding to mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule (MAdCAM), which is present on high endothelial venules of mucosal lymphoid organs.
Inhibitors of specific integrin-ligand interactions have been shown effective as anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of various autoimmune diseases. For example, monoclonal antibodies displaying high binding affinity for α4β7 have displayed therapeutic benefits for gastrointestinal auto-inflammatory/autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
There is a need to develop improved α4β7 antagonists to prevent or treat inflammatory conidtions and/or autoimmune diseases.
Certain methods of making cyclic peptides (nacellins) are described in Applicant's PCT Publication No. WO 2010/105363.
In an aspect, there is provided, a compound of formula (I):
wherein
R1 is H; lower alkyl; aryl; heteroaryl; alkenyl; or heterocycle; all of which are optionally substituted at one or more substitutable positions with one or more suitable substituents;
R2 and R3 are each independently an amino acid chain of a proteinogenic or a non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acid,
R4 and R5 are each independently H; lower alkyl; aryl; heteroaryl; alkenyl; heterocycle; acids of the formula —C(O)OH; esters of the formula —C(O)OR* wherein R* is selected from alkyl and aryl; amides of the formula —C(O)NR**R***, wherein R** and R*** are independently selected from H, alkyl and aryl; —CH2C(O)R, wherein R is selected from —OH, lower alkyl, aryl, -loweralkyl-aryl, or —NRaRb, where Ra and Rb are independently selected from H, lower alkyl, aryl or -loweralkyl-aryl; or —C(O)Rc, wherein Rc is selected from lower alkyl, aryl or -lower alkyl-aryl; or -lower alkyl-ORd, wherein Rd is a suitable protecting group or OH group; all of which are optionally substituted at one or more substitutable positions with one or more suitable substituents;
R6 is H, lower alkyl, benzyl, alkenyl, lower alkyloxy; aryl; heteroaryl; heterocycle; —C(O)R****, wherein R**** is independently selected from alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, amino, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, aminoheteroaryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy; —CH2C(O)R; or —C(O)Rc; all of which are optionally substituted at one or more substitutable positions with one or more suitable substituents,
R7 and R8 are independently selected from the amino acid side chains of a proteinogenic or a non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acid having the N-terminus thereof being the N—R6, or may form a cyclic side chain with R6;
stereocentres 1*, 2* and 3* are each independently selected from R and S;
n is 1, 2, 3, or 4 and where n is 2-4, each R7 and each R8 are independent of each other; and
wherein Z is an amino terminus of an amino acid; —C═O— adjacent L is the carboxy terminus of an amino acid; and L along with Z and —C═O— is a peptide having the following formula:
In an aspect, there is provided, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound described herein along with the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutical composition may be formulated for any one of oral delivery, topical delivery and parenteral delivery.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method of treating inflammation or an autoimmune disease in a patient, comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein. Preferably the inflammation or an autoimmune disease is gastrointestinal.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method for treating a condition in a patient associated with a biological function of an α4β7 integrin, the method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method for treating a disease or condition in a patient comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein, wherein the disease or condition is a local or systemic infection of a virus or retrovirus.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method for treating a disease or condition in a patient comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein, wherein the hepatitis A, B or C, hepatic encephalopathy, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, variceal bleeding, hemochromatosis, Wilson disease, tyrosinemia, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, glycogen storage disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cancer, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary sclerosis, biliary tract disease, autoimmune hepatitis, or graft-versus-host disease.
These and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings and tables wherein:
Table 1 shows compounds exhibiting α4β7 integrin affinity, selectivity and/or activity; and specifically with respect to these compounds: (A) the structure of the linker portion; (B) the structure of the peptide portion; and (C) the affinity, selectivity and activity values.
To aid reading of the table, the following is noted:
Table 1A:
Table 1B
Table 1C
Table 2 shows compounds exhibiting less α4β7 integrin affinity, selectivity and/or activity; and specifically with respect to these compounds: (A) the structure of the linker portion; (B) the structure of the peptide portion; and (C) the affinity, selectivity and activity values.
To aid reading of the table, the following is noted:
Table 2A
Table 2B
Table 2C
Table S1 is a correspondence table linking the compounds described herein with the synthesis protocols outlined in the methods and materials.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details.
In an aspect, there is provided, a compound of formula (I):
wherein
R1 is H; lower alkyl; aryl; heteroaryl; alkenyl; or heterocycle; all of which are optionally substituted at one or more substitutable positions with one or more suitable substituents;
R2 and R3 are each independently an amino acid chain of a proteinogenic or a non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acid,
R4 and R5 are each independently H; lower alkyl; aryl; heteroaryl; alkenyl; heterocycle; acids of the formula —C(O)OH; esters of the formula —C(O)OR* wherein R* is selected from alkyl and aryl; amides of the formula —C(O)NR**R***, wherein R** and R*** are independently selected from H, alkyl and aryl; —CH2C(O)R, wherein R is selected from —OH, lower alkyl, aryl, -loweralkyl-aryl, or —NRaRb, where Ra and Rb are independently selected from H, lower alkyl, aryl or -loweralkyl-aryl; or —C(O)Rc, wherein Rc is selected from lower alkyl, aryl or -lower alkyl-aryl; or -lower alkyl-ORd, wherein Rd is a suitable protecting group or OH group; all of which are optionally substituted at one or more substitutable positions with one or more suitable substituents;
R6 is H, lower alkyl, benzyl, alkenyl, lower alkyloxy; aryl; heteroaryl; heterocycle; —C(O)R****, wherein R**** is independently selected from alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, amino, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, aminoheteroaryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy; —CH2C(O)R; or —C(O)Rc; all of which are optionally substituted at one or more substitutable positions with one or more suitable substituents,
R7 and R8 are independently selected from the amino acid side chains of a proteinogenic or a non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acid having the N-terminus thereof being the N—R6, or may form a cyclic side chain with R6;
stereocentres 1*, 2* and 3* are each independently selected from R and S;
n is 1, 2, 3, or 4 and where n is 2-4, each R7 and each R8 are independent of each other; and
wherein Z is an amino terminus of an amino acid; —C═O— adjacent L is the carboxy terminus of an amino acid; and L along with Z and —C═O— is a peptide having the following formula:
The compounds shown in Tables 1A, 1B and 1C exhibit antagonistic activity against α4β7 integrin and having selectivity over α4β1 integrin. A person skilled in the art would expect that substituents R1-R8 and amino acids Xy, Xz, X1, X2, and X3 outlined in -Tables 1A and 1B with respect to different compounds could be combined in any manner and would likely result in a compound that would exhibit α4β7 integrin activity and selectivity.
As used herein, the term “amino acid” refers to molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side chain that varies. Amino acid is meant to include not only the twenty amino acids commonly found in proteins but also non-standard amino acids and unnatural amino acid derivatives known to those of skill in the art, and therefore includes, but is not limited to, alpha, beta and gamma amino acids. Peptides are polymers of at least two amino acids and may include standard, non-standard, and unnatural amino acids. A peptide is a polymer of two or more amino acids.
The following abbreviations are used herein:
The term “suitable substituent” as used in the context of the present invention is meant to include independently H; hydroxyl; cyano; alkyl, such as lower alkyl, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, hexyl and the like; alkoxy, such as lower alkoxy such as methoxy, ethoxy, and the like; aryloxy, such as phenoxy and the like; vinyl; alkenyl, such as hexenyl and the like; alkynyl; formyl; haloalkyl, such as lower haloalkyl which includes CF3, CCl3 and the like; halide; aryl, such as phenyl and napthyl; heteroaryl, such as thienyl and furanyl and the like; amide such as C(O)NRaRb, where Ra and Rb are independently selected from lower alkyl, aryl or benzyl, and the like; acyl, such as C(O)—C6H5, and the like; ester such as —C(O)OCH3 the like; ethers and thioethers, such as O-Bn and the like; thioalkoxy; phosphino; and —NRaRb, where Ra and Rb are independently selected from lower alkyl, aryl or benzyl, and the like. It is to be understood that a suitable substituent as used in the context of the present invention is meant to denote a substituent that does not interfere with the formation of the desired product by the processes of the present invention.
As used in the context of the present invention, the term “lower alkyl” as used herein either alone or in combination with another substituent means acyclic, straight or branched chain alkyl substituent containing from one to six carbons and includes for example, methyl, ethyl, 1-methylethyl, 1-methylpropyl, 2-methylpropyl, and the like. A similar use of the term is to be understood for “lower alkoxy”, “lower thioalkyl”, “lower alkenyl” and the like in respect of the number of carbon atoms. For example, “lower alkoxy” as used herein includes methoxy, ethoxy, t-butoxy.
The term “alkyl” encompasses lower alkyl, and also includes alkyl groups having more than six carbon atoms, such as, for example, acyclic, straight or branched chain alkyl substituents having seven to ten carbon atoms.
The term “aryl” as used herein, either alone or in combination with another substituent, means an aromatic monocyclic system or an aromatic polycyclic system. For example, the term “aryl” includes a phenyl or a napthyl ring, and may also include larger aromatic polycyclic systems, such as fluorescent (eg. anthracene) or radioactive labels and their derivatives.
The term “heteroaryl” as used herein, either alone or in combination with another substituent means a 5, 6, or 7-membered unsaturated heterocycle containing from one to 4 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulphur and which form an aromatic system. The term “heteroaryl” also includes a polycyclic aromatic system comprising a 5, 6, or 7-membered unsaturated heterocycle containing from one to 4 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulphur.
The term “cycloalkyl” as used herein, either alone or in combination with another substituent, means a cycloalkyl substituent that includes for example, but is not limited to, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and cycloheptyl.
The term “cycloalkyl-alkyl-” as used herein means an alkyl radical to which a cycloalkyl radical is directly linked; and includes, but is not limited to, cyclopropylmethyl, cyclobutylmethyl, cyclopentylmethyl, 1-cyclopentylethyl, 2-cyclopentylethyl, cyclohexylmethyl, 1-cyclohexylethyl and 2-cyclohexylethyl. A similar use of the “alkyl” or “lower alkyl” terms is to be understood for aryl-alkyl-, aryl-loweralkyl- (eg. benzyl), -lower alkyl-alkenyl (eg. allyl), heteroaryl-alkyl-, and the like as used herein. For example, the term “aryl-alkyl-” means an alkyl radical, to which an aryl is bonded. Examples of aryl-alkyl- include, but are not limited to, benzyl (phenylmethyl), 1-phenylethyl, 2-phenylethyl and phenylpropyl.
As used herein, the term “heterocycle”, either alone or in combination with another radical, means a monovalent radical derived by removal of a hydrogen from a three- to seven-membered saturated or unsaturated (including aromatic) cyclic compound containing from one to four heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. Examples of such heterocycles include, but are not limited to, aziridine, epoxide, azetidine, pyrrolidine, tetrahydrofuran, thiazolidine, pyrrole, thiophene, hydantoin, diazepine, imidazole, isoxazole, thiazole, tetrazole, piperidine, piperazine, homopiperidine, homopiperazine, 1,4-dioxane, 4-morpholine, 4-thiomorpholine, pyridine, pyridine-N-oxide or pyrimidine, and the like.
The term “alkenyl”, as used herein, either alone or in combination with another radical, is intended to mean an unsaturated, acyclic straight chain radical containing two or more carbon atoms, at least two of which are bonded to each other by a double bond.
Examples of such radicals include, but are not limited to, ethenyl (vinyl), 1-propenyl, 2-propenyl, and 1-butenyl.
The term “alkynyl”, as used herein is intended to mean an unsaturated, acyclic straight chain radical containing two or more carbon atoms, at least two of which are bonded to each other by a triple bond. Examples of such radicals include, but are not limited to, ethynyl, 1-propynyl, 2-propynyl, and 1-butynyl.
The term “alkoxy” as used herein, either alone or in combination with another radical, means the radical —O—(C1-n)alkyl wherein alkyl is as defined above containing 1 or more carbon atoms, and includes for example methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, 1-methylethoxy, butoxy and 1,1-dimethylethoxy. Where n is 1 to 6, the term “lower alkoxy” applies, as noted above, whereas the term “alkoxy” encompasses “lower alkoxy” as well as alkoxy groups where n is greater than 6 (for example, n=7 to 10). The term “aryloxy” as used herein alone or in combination with another radical means —O-aryl, wherein aryl is defined as noted above.
A protecting group or protective group is a substituent introduced into a molecule to obtain chemoselectivity in a subsequent chemical reaction. Many protecting groups are known in the art and a skilled person would understand the kinds of protecting groups that would be incorporated and could be used in connection with the methods described herein. In “protecting group based peptide synthesis”, typically solid phase peptide synthesis, the desired peptide is prepared by the step-wise addition of amino acid moieties to a building peptide chain. The two most widely used protocols, in solid-phase synthesis, employ tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) or 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) as amino protecting groups. Amino protecting groups generally protect an amino group against undesirable reactions during synthetic procedures and which can later be removed to reveal the amine. Commonly used amino protecting groups are disclosed in Greene, T. W. et al., Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons (1999). Amino protecting groups include acyl groups such as formyl, acetyl, propionyl, pivaloyl, t-butylacetyl, 2-chloroacetyl, 2-bromoacetyl, trifluoroacetyl, trichloroacetyl, o-nitrophenoxyacetyl, .alpha.-chlorobutyryl, benzoyl, 4-chlorobenzoyl, 4-bromobenzoyl, 4-nitrobenzoyl, and the like; sulfonyl groups such as benzenesulfonyl, p-toluenesulfonyl and the like; alkoxy- or aryloxy-carbonyl groups (which form urethanes with the protected amine) such as benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz), p-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl, p-methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, p-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl, 2-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl, p-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl, 3,4-dimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 3,5-dimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 2,4-dimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 4-methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 2-nitro-4,5-dimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 1-(p-biphenylyl)-1-methylethoxycarbonyl, .alpha.-,.alpha.-dimethyl-3,5-dimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, benzhydryloxycarbonyl, t-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc), diisopropylmethoxycarbonyl, isopropyloxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, methoxycarbonyl, allyloxycarbonyl (Alloc), 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl, 2-trimethylsilylethyloxycarbonyl (Teoc), phenoxycarbonyl, 4-nitrophenoxycarbonyl, fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl (Fmoc), cyclopentyloxycarbonyl, adamantyloxycarbonyl, cyclohexyloxycarbonyl, phenylthiocarbonyl and the like; aralkyl groups such as benzyl, triphenylmethyl, benzyloxymethyl and the like; and sibyl groups such as trimethylsilyl and the like. Amine protecting groups also include cyclic amino protecting groups such as phthaloyl and dithiosuccinimidyl, which incorporate the amino nitrogen into a heterocycle. Typically, amino protecting groups include formyl, acetyl, benzoyl, pivaloyl, t-butylacetyl, phenylsulfonyl, Alloc, Teoc, benzyl, Fmoc, Boc and Cbz. It is well within the skill of the ordinary artisan to select and use the appropriate amino protecting group for the synthetic task at hand.
In some embodiments, R1 is H.
In some embodiments, R2 or R3 is covalently linked to R1 to form proline having NR1 as the N-terminus.
In some embodiments, R2 and R3 are not both H.
In some embodiments, R2 and R3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of amino acid chains of a proteinogenic or a non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acids.
In some embodiments, R2 and R3 are H and CH3 respectively or vice versa.
In some embodiments, R2 or R3 is —CH2-S—Rs, wherein Rs is selected from lower alkyl; lower amino alkyl; aryl; heteroaryl; alkenyl; or heterocycle; all of which are optionally substituted at one or more substitutable positions with one or more suitable substituents;
preferably Rs is phenyl or phenyl substituted with lower alkyl, halogen; or lower amino alkyl.
In some embodiments, R4 and R5 are not both H.
In some embodiments, R** and R*** are not both H.
In some embodiments, R4 and R5 are each independently H, or C(O)—NHRt, wherein Rt is H or a lower alkyl. Preferably, Rt is tert-butyl or H.
In some embodiments, R6 is H.
In some embodiments, R6 and either R8 or R9 form a ring resulting in a proline residue having N—R6 as its N-terminus.
In some embodiments, n is 1.
In some embodiments, Z along with L and —C═O is any one of SEQ ID NOs. 1-380.
In some embodiments, X1 is Leu.
In some embodiments, X2 is Asp.
In some embodiments, X3 is Thr.
In some embodiments, X3 is Val.
In some embodiments, X3 is Ile.
In some embodiments, Xy and Xz are each independently a proteinogenic or non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acid.
In some embodiments, Xz is a proteinogenic or non-proteinogenic beta-amino acid.
In some embodiments, Xz is betaHomoLys or MethylbetaHomoLys.
In some embodiments, Xy and Xz are each a primary amino acid.
In some embodiments, Xy and Xz are each any amino acid listed under column Xy and column Xz respectively of Table 1B.
In various embodiments, the compound is any one of compounds 1-397.
In certain embodiments, there is provided pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds described herein. The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salt,” as used herein, represents salts or zwitterionic forms of the compounds of the present invention which are water or oil-soluble or dispersible, which are suitable for treatment of diseases without undue toxicity, irritation, and allergic response; which are commensurate with a reasonable benefit/risk ratio, and which are effective for their intended use. The salts can be prepared during the final isolation and purification of the compounds or separately by treatment of an amino group with a suitable acid. Representative acid addition salts include acetate, adipate, alginate, citrate, aspartate, benzoate, benzenesulfonate, bisulfate, butyrate, camphorate, camphorsulfonate, digluconate, glycerophosphate, hemisulfate, heptanoate, hexanoate, formate, fumarate, hydrochloride, hydrobromide, hydroiodide, 2-hydroxyethansulfonate (isethionate), lactate, maleate, mesitylenesulfonate, methanesulfonate, naphthylenesulfonate, nicotinate, 2-naphthalenesulfonate, oxalate, pamoate, pectinate, persulfate, 3-phenylproprionate, picrate, pivalate, propionate, succinate, tartrate, trichloroacetate, trifluoroacetate, phosphate, glutamate, bicarbonate, para-toluenesulfonate, and undecanoate. Also, amino groups in the compounds of the present invention can be quaternized with methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl chlorides, bromides, and iodides; dimethyl, diethyl, dibutyl, and diamyl sulfates; decyl, lauryl, myristyl, and steryl chlorides, bromides, and iodides; and benzyl and phenethyl bromides. Examples of acids which can be employed to form therapeutically acceptable addition salts include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, and phosphoric, and organic acids such as oxalic, maleic, succinic, and citric. In certain embodiments, any of the peptide compounds described herein are salt forms, e.g., acetate salts.
In an aspect, there is provided, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound described herein along with the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutical composition may be formulated for any one of oral delivery, topical delivery and parenteral delivery.
As used herein, “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” means any and all solvents, dispersion media, coatings, antibacterial and antifungal agents, isotonic and absorption delaying agents, and the like that are physiologically compatible. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include one or more of water, saline, phosphate buffered saline, dextrose, glycerol, ethanol and the like, as well as combinations thereof. In many cases, it will be preferable to include isotonic agents, for example, sugars, polyalcohols such as mannitol, sorbitol, or sodium chloride in the composition. Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers may further comprise minor amounts of auxiliary substances such as wetting or emulsifying agents, preservatives or buffers, which enhance the shelf life or effectiveness of the pharmacological agent.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method of treating inflammation or an autoimmune disease in a patient, comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein. Preferably the inflammation or an autoimmune disease is gastrointestinal.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method for treating a condition in a patient associated with a biological function of an α4β7 integrin, the method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein.
In some embodiments, the condition or disease is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Celiac disease (nontropical Sprue), enteropathy associated with seronegative arthropathies, microscopic colitis, collagenous colitis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, pouchitis resulting after proctocolectomy and ileoanal anastomosis, gastrointestinal cancer, pancreatitis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, mastitis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, pericholangitis, chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, asthma, primary sclerosing cholangitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the GI tract, eosinophilic asthma, eosinophilic esophagitis, gastritis, colitis, microscopic colitis, graft versus host disease, colitis associated with radio- or chemo-therapy, colitis associated with disorders of innate immunity as in leukocyte adhesion deficiency-1, chronic granulomatous disease, glycogen storage disease type 1b, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, and Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, or pouchitis resulting after proctocolectomy and ileoanal anastomosis and various forms of gastrointestinal cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, weight gain, and depression. In another embodiment, the condition is pancreatitis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, mastitis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, pericholangitis, chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, asthma or graft versus host disease.
In preferable embodiments, is an inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method for treating a disease or condition in a patient comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein, wherein the disease or condition is a local or systemic infection of a virus or retrovirus.
In some embodiments, the a virus or retrovirus is echovirus 1 and 8, echovirus 9/Barty Strain, human papilloma viruses, hantaviruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses, foot and mouth disease virus, coxsackievirus A9, human parechovirus 1 or human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
In an aspect, there is provided, a method for treating a disease or condition in a patient comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described herein, wherein the hepatitis A, B or C, hepatic encephalopathy, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, variceal bleeding, hemochromatosis, Wilson disease, tyrosinemia, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, glycogen storage disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cancer, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary sclerosis, biliary tract disease, autoimmune hepatitis, or graft-versus-host disease.
In some embodiments, the compound inhibits binding of α4β7 integrin to MAdCAM. Preferably, the compound selectively inhibits binding of α4β7 integrin to MAdCAM.
In any embodiment, the patient is preferably a human.
As used herein, the terms “disease”, “disorder”, and “condition” may be used interchangeably.
As used herein, “inhibition,” “treatment,” “treating,” and “ameliorating” are used interchangeably and refer to, e.g., stasis of symptoms, prolongation of survival, partial or full amelioration of symptoms, and partial or full eradication of a condition, disease or disorder in a subject, e.g., a mammal.
As used herein, “prevent” or “prevention” includes (i) preventing or inhibiting the disease, injury, or condition from occurring in a subject, e.g., a mammal, in particular, when such subject is predisposed to the condition but has not yet been diagnosed as having it; or (ii) reducing the likelihood that the disease, injury, or condition will occur in the subject.
As used herein, “therapeutically effective amount” refers to an amount effective, at dosages and for a particular period of time necessary, to achieve the desired therapeutic result. A therapeutically effective amount of the pharmacological agent may vary according to factors such as the disease state, age, sex, and weight of the individual, and the ability of the pharmacological agent to elicit a desired response in the individual. A therapeutically effective amount is also one in which any toxic or detrimental effects of the pharmacological agent are outweighed by the therapeutically beneficial effects.
In some embodiments, the compound is administered by a form of administration selected from the group consisting of oral, intravenous, peritoneal, intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intrathecal, inhalation, vaporization, nebulization, sublingual, buccal, parenteral, rectal, vaginal, and topical.
In some embodiments, the compound is administered as an initial does followed by one or more subsequent doses and the minimum interval between any two doses is a period of less than 1 day, and wherein each of the doses comprises an effective amount of the compound.
In some embodiments, the effective amount of the compound is the amount sufficient to achieve at least one of the following selected from the group consisting of: a) about 50% or greater saturation of MAdCAM binding sites on α4β7 integrin molecules; b) about 50% or greater inhibition of α4β7 integrin expression on the cell surface; and c) about 50% or greater saturation of MAdCAM binding sites on α4β7 molecules and about 50% or greater inhibition of α4β7 integrin expression on the cell surface, wherein i) the saturation is maintained for a period consistent with a dosing frequency of no more than twice daily; ii) the inhibition is maintained for a period consistent with a dosing frequency of no more than twice daily; or iii) the saturation and the inhibition are each maintained for a period consistent with a dosing frequency of no more than twice daily.
In some embodiments, the compound is administered at an interval selected from the group consisting of around the clock, hourly, every four hours, once daily, twice daily, three times daily, four times daily, every other day, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly.
The advantages of the present invention are further illustrated by the following examples. The examples and their particular details set forth herein are presented for illustration only and should not be construed as a limitation on the claims of the present invention.
Methods and Materials
Synthesis
Methods applicable for making the cyclic peptides described herein can be found generally in Applicant's PCT Publication No. WO 2010/105363 and in an application filed on the same day herewith titled “Fragment Synthesis of Cyclic Peptides” (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/775,319) and claiming common priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/254003 filed on Nov. 11, 2015.
More specifically, the below protocols were used to synthesize each of the compounds as indicated in Table S1.
Protocol A: General Nacellin Synthesis
1. Preparation of resin: Fmoc amino acid (1.1 eq. with respect to resin) was dissolved in CH2Cl2 (10 mL/g of resin). If the amino acid did not dissolve completely, DMF was added slowly dropwise until a homogeneous mixture persisted upon stirring/sonication. The 2-chlorotrityl resin was allowed to swell in CH2Cl2 (5 mL/g of resin) for 15 minutes. The CH2Cl2 was then drained and the Fmoc amino acid solution was added to the vessel containing the 2-Cl Trt resin. DIPEA was added (2 eq. with respect to the amino acid) and the vessel was agitated for five minutes. Another 2 eq. of DIPEA was then added and the vessel was left to agitate for an additional 60 minutes. The resin was then treated with methanol (1 mL/g of resin) to endcap any remaining reactive 2-Cl Trt groups. The solution was mixed for 15 minutes, drained and then rinsed with CH2Cl2 (x3), DMF (x3), CH2Cl2 (x2), and MeOH (x3). The resin was then dried under vacuum and weighed to determine the estimated loading of Fmoc amino acid.
2. Preparation of linear peptide sequence via manual or automated synthesis: Fully protected resin-bound peptides were synthesized via standard Fmoc solid-phase peptide chemistry manually or using an automated peptide synthesizer. All N-Fmoc amino acids were employed.
a. Fmoc deprotection: the resin was treated with 20% piperidine in NMP twice, for 5 and 10 minutes respectively, with consecutive DMF and NMP washes after each addition.
b. Fmoc amino acid coupling: the resin was treated with 3 eq. of Fmoc amino acid, 3 eq. of HATU and 6 eq. of DIPEA in NMP for 60 minutes. For difficult couplings, a second treatment with 3 eq. of Fmoc amino acid, 3 eq. of HATU and 6 eq. of DIPEA in NMP for 40 minutes was employed.
3. General cleavage with retention of protecting groups: Once the desired linear sequence was synthesized, the resin was treated with either 1.) 1:3, HFIP:CH2Cl2 or 2.) 5% TFA in CH2Cl2, twice for 30 minutes each, to afford cleavage from the solid support. The solvent was then removed, followed by trituration twice with chilled tent-butyl methyl ether (or diethyl ether/hexanes) to give the desired product. The purity was then analyzed by reverse-phase LCMS.
Protocol B: Preparation of N-Alkylated Fmoc Amino Acid Building Blocks
1. Resin prep: see protocol A, step 1
2. Fmoc deprotection: see protocol A, step 2a
3. Nosyl protection: The deprotected resin was stirred in CH2Cl2 (5 mL/mmol of resin) and DIPEA (6.5 eq.). A solution of Nosyl chloride (4.0 eq.) was added slowly, dropwise, over 30 minutes, to avoid a rapid exothermic reaction. After the addition was complete, stirring was continued at room temperature for three hours. The resulting nosyl-protected resin was filtered and washed with CH2Cl2, MeOH, CH2Cl2, and THF.
4. N-Methylation: To a suspension of resin in THF (10 mL/mmol of resin) was added a solution of triphenylphosphine (5 eq.) in THF (2 M) and MeOH (10 eq.). The stirring suspension was cooled in an ice bath. A solution of DIAD (5 eq.) in THF (1 M) was added dropwise, via addition funnel. After addition was complete the bath was removed and the reaction was stirred at room temperature for an additional 90 minutes. The resin was filtered, washed with THF (x4), CH2Cl2 (x3), and THF (x2).
5. Nosyl-deprotection: To a suspension of resin in NMP (10 mL/mmol of resin) was added 2-mercaptoethanol (10.1 eq.) and DBU (5.0 eq.). The solution became a dark green colour. After five minutes, the resin was filtered, washed with DMF until washes ran colourless. This procedure was repeated a second time, and the resin was then washed a final time with CH2Cl2.
6. Fmoc protection: To a suspension of resin in CH2Cl2 (7 mL/mmol of resin) was added a solution of Fmoc-Cl (4 eq.) in CH2Cl2 (7 mL), and DIPEA (6.1 eq.). The suspension was stirred at room temperature for four hours then filtered and washed with CH2Cl2 (x2), MeOH (x2), CH2Cl2 (x2), and Et2O (x2).
7. Cleavage from resin: see protocol A, step 3
Protocol C: Reductive Amination
1. Fmoc Weinreb amide formation: a mixture of Fmoc amino acid (1 mmol), N,O-dimethylhydroxylamine.HCl (1.2 eq.), and HCTU (1.2 eq.) in CH2Cl2 (6.5 mL), was cooled to 0° C. DIPEA (3 eq.) was then slowly added to the stirring mixture. The cooling bath was removed and the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 16 h. A 10% solution of HCl (4 mL) was added resulting in the formation of a precipitate, which was removed through filtration. The filtrate was washed with 10% HCl (3×4 mL) and brine (2×4 mL). The organic phase was then dried over Na2SO4. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure to give crude Fmoc Weinreb amide, which was used in the next reaction without purification.
2. Fmoc amino aldehyde formation: lithium aluminum hydride powder (3 eq.) was placed in a dry flask. THF (Sigma-Aldrich, 250 ppm of BHT, ACS reagent>99.0%, 6.5 mL) was added, and the resulting slurry was cooled to −78° C., with stirring. To the slurry was added a solution of the Fmoc Weinreb amide in THF (10 mL). The reaction vessel was transferred to an ice/water bath, and maintained at 0° C. for 1 h. To the reaction at 0° C., was added dropwise acetone (1.5 mL), then H2O (0.25 mL) and then the reaction was left to stir for an additional hour at room temperature. The mixture was filtered through Celite, washed with EtOAc (10 mL) and MeOH (10 mL), and the filtrate was concentrated. The crude material was dissolved in CHCl3 (6.5 mL) and washed with brine (2×3 mL) and the organic phase was then dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated to give the Fmoc amino aldehyde.
3. Reductive amination on-resin: the linear peptide on-resin was placed in a solid-phase peptide synthesis reaction vessel and diluted with DMF (22 mL/g of resin). The Fmoc aldehyde (4.0 eq.) was added and the reaction was left to shake overnight. The solution was then drained and the resin was washed with CH2Cl2 (x3) and DMF (x3). The resin was then diluted with a mixture of MeOH/CH2Cl2 (22 mL/g of resin, 1:3 ratio) and NaBH4(7 eq.) was subsequently added. The mixture was left to shake for four hours, then the solution was drained and the resin was washed with CH2Cl2 (x3) and DMF (x3).
Protocol D: Fragment-Based Macrocyclization
In a two-dram vial, 0.1 mmol of the linear peptide and DEPBT (1.5 eq.) were dissolved in 5 mL of freshly distilled THF (0.02 M). DIPEA (3 eq.) was then added and the reaction mixture was left to stir overnight at room temperature (16 h). Tetraalkylammonium carbonate resin (6 eq.) was then added to the reaction mixture and stirring was continued for an additional 24 h. The reaction was then filtered through a solid-phase extraction vessel and rinsed with CH2Cl2 (2 mL). The filtrate and washes were combined and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure.
Protocol E: Aziridine Aldehyde-Based Macrocyclization
The linear peptide was dissolved in TFE (if solubility problems were encountered, a 50:50 mixture of TFE:CH2Cl2 was used for the cyclization). Then 0.6 eq. of (S)-aziridine-2-carboxaldehyde dimer (prepared as per literature protocol: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128 (46), 14772-14773 and Nat. Protoc. 2010, 5 (11), 1813-1822) as a TFE stock solution (0.2 M) was added, giving a final reaction mixture concentration of 0.1 M. tert-Butyl isocyanide (1.2 eq.) was then added and the reaction mixture was stirred for four hours. Progress was analyzed along the way via LC-MS.
Protocol F: Nucleophilic Ring-Opening of Acyl Aziridine, Post Macrocyclization
a.) Thioacetic acid/thiobenzoic acid: thio acid (4 eq.) was added to the crude reaction mixture. Reaction progress was monitored by LC-MS, and was generally complete after 1-2 hours.
Or alternatively, b.) Thiophenol: thiophenol (4 eq.) and DIPEA (4 eq.) were added to the crude cyclization mixture. Reaction progress was monitored by LC-MS, and was generally complete after 1-2 hours. Solvent was removed under reduced pressure and dried under vacuum. Crude material was either triturated with Et2O/hexanes or TBME, or alternatively, diluted with H2O, frozen and lyophilized.
Protocol G: General Suzuki Coupling, Post Macrocyclization
An iodo-Phe-containing macrocycle (0.1 mmol), Na2CO3 (2 eq.), substituted boronic acid (1.1 eq.) and 4 mL of water:acetonitrile (1:1 ratio) were combined in a microwave vial. The mixture was degassed via N2 flow for 10 minutes. While under N2, silicon based Pd-catalyst (Siliacat-DPP Pd heterogenous catalyst, 0.05 eq.) was added. The reaction vial was sealed and placed in the microwave for 10 minutes at 150° C. Reaction progress was monitored by LCMS. Once complete, the reaction was filtered through a Celite plug and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure.
Protocol H: General Ulmann Coupling, Post Macrocyclization
Under inert atmosphere, the peptide macrocycle (0.018 mmol) was placed in a 2-dram vial containing 2 mL of dry CH2Cl2. Cu(OAc)2 (1 eq.), benzene boronic acid (2 eq.) and 4 Å (oven-dried) molecular sieves were then added to the vial followed by DIPEA (4 eq.). The contents of the vial were stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction progress was assessed by LCMS. Once the reaction was deemed complete, the mixture was filtered through a Celite plug and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure.
Protocol I: General Global Deprotection and Cleavage
Deprotection of the side chain protecting groups was achieved by dissolving the peptides in 2 mL of a cleavage cocktail consisting of TFA:H2O:TIS (95:2.5:2.5) for two hours. Subsequently, the cleavage mixture was evaporated under reduced pressure and the peptides were precipitated twice from chilled diethyl ether/hexanes (or tert-butyl methyl ether).
Protocol J: General Cleavage of Reductively-Labile Protecting Groups
a.) Pd/C and formic acid debenzylation: the benzyl protected macrocycle (0.35 mmol) was dissolved in MeOH (8 mL) with 10% formic acid, 50% wt. Pd/C (1 mg) and heated to 55° C. Once the reaction was deemed complete, the mixture was filtered through a Celite plug, washed with MeOH and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure.
Or alternatively, b.) Raney Ni desulfurization/debenzylation: Raney Ni slurry (1-2 mL) was added directly to the cyclization reaction mixture and stirred vigorously overnight. The vial was then centrifuged and the liquid was transferred using a pipette to a tared vial. MeOH was added to the vial containing Raney Ni. The vial was then sonicated, vortexed, and centrifuged. Again, the liquid was transferred to a tared vial. This process was repeated with EtOAc and then a final time with MeOH. The combined washes were then removed under reduced pressure and the residue dried under vacuum.
Protocol K: Amidation of Side Chain, Post Macrocyclization
Macrocycle (0.021 mmol) was dissolved in 1 mL of CH3CN. K2CO3 (5 eq.) and acid chloride (2 eq.) were then added and the reaction mixture was left to stir at room temperature overnight. Reaction progress was checked by LC-MS in the morning. Upon completion, the solvent was removed by reduced pressure.
Protocol L: Fluorescent Dye Attachment
The macrocycle (4 μmol) was dissolved in DMSO (200 μL). DIPEA (5 eq.) was then added. In a separate vial, 5 mg of fluorescent dye as the NHS ester was dissolved in 200 μL of DMSO. The macrocycle solution was then added to the solution of the fluorescent label. The reaction mixture was stirred overnight. Reaction progress was checked by LC-MS in the morning and then the solvent was removed by lyophilization.
Protocol M: Purification Methods
All macrocycles were purified using reverse-phase flash column chromatography using a 30 g RediSep C18 Gold Column. The gradient consisted of eluents A (0.1% formic acid in double distilled water) and B (0.1% formic acid in HPLC-grade acetonitrile) at a flow rate of 35 mL/min.
Integrin α4β7—MAdCAM-1 ELISA Competition Assay
Definitions and Acronyms
BSA: Bovine serum albumin
DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide
HRP: Horseradish peroxydase
PBS: Phosphate buffered saline
TMB: 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine
Required Products
Specific Material
Solutions
Carbonate buffer pH 9,6 (50 mM), Tris-Cl (1 M), Blocking buffer (50 mM Tris, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM MnCl2, 1% BSA, 0.05% Tween), Assay buffer (50 mM Tris, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM MnCl2, 0.1% BSA, 0.05% Tween), Wash buffer (50 mM Tris, 100 mM NaCl, 1 mM MnCl2, 0.05% Tween), H2SO4 1M, PBS, Dilution solution (400 μL DMSO in 40 mL of Assay buffer)
Protocol
Integrin α4β1—VCAM-1 ELISA Competition Assay
Definitions and Acronyms
BSA: Bovine serum albumin
DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide
HRP: Horseradish peroxydase
PBS: Phosphate buffered saline
TMB: 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine
Required Products
Specific Material
Solutions
Carbonate buffer pH 9.6 (50 mM), Tris-Cl (1 M), Blocking buffer (50 mM Tris, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM MnCl2, 1% BSA, 0.05% Tween), Assay buffer (50 mM Tris, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM MnCl2, 0.1% BSA, 0.05% Tween), Wash buffer (50 mM Tris, 100 mM NaCl, 1 mM MnCl2, 0.05% Tween), H2SO4 1M, PBS, Dilution solution (400 μL DMSO in 40 mL of Assay buffer)
Protocol
RPM18866 Cell Adhesion Competition Assay
Material:
Protocol:
17) Read plate on Biotek Neo using FITC 96 bottom read for pre-wash readings.
Buffers
Coating buffer (50 mM carbonate)
Dissolve 420 mg sodium bicarbonate in 100 ml water (Soln 1). Dissolve 270 mb sodium carbonate in 50 ml water (Soln 2). Add Soln 2 to Soln 1 to a pH of 9.6
Wash buffer
0.05% Tween 20 in PBS
Blocking buffer
1% Nonfat Dry Milk in PBS
Binding buffer
1.5 mM CaCl2
0.5 mM MnCl2
50 mM Tris-HCl, pH to 7.5 with HCl
Plasma Protein Binding Determination
An equilibrium dialysis (HTDialysis) method was used employing 50% plasma collected from CD-1 mice or Sprague-Dawley rats and incubated with K2EDTA. Test articles were assessed at 1 microM concentration in three replicates. Incubation time as 5 hours and plasma and buffer standards were assessed using LC/MS/MS. Percentage recovery was calculated as (Cbuffer+Cplasma)/[average]Cinitial, [average]Cinitial being measured in triplicate from the test samples prior to dialysis. Percentage of compound unbound was calculated as Cbuffer/Cplasma.
Aqueous Solubility Assay
Aqueous solubility was determined by using 1, 0.5 or 0.2 mM (maximum) of test compound in phosphate buffered saline with pH of 7.4. Solutions were incubated for four hours at room temperature and stirred at 600 rpm and run in triplicate. Centrifugation was performed for 15 minutes at 6000 rpm and solution concentration was determined using HPLC-UV (photodiode array detector acquiring between 220 nm, and 300 nm wavelengths).
Cytochrome P450 Inhibition Assay
Human liver microsomes (at 0.25 mg/ml, except for CYP1A2, where a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml was employed) were used to assess the IC50 (in duplicate; concentration range of 0.25 nM to 15 microM) for test compounds on the activity four isoforms of cytochrome P450 (“CYP”): CYP2D6, CYP3A4, CYP2C9 and CYP1A2. The following substrates were employed: dextromethorphan (15 microM, CYP2D6), testosterone (50 microM, CYP3A4), diclofenac (10 microM, CYP2C9) and phenacetin (100 microM, CYP1A2). Control inhibitors were quinidine (0.03 nM to 1.5 microM, CYP2D6), ketoconazole (0.08 nM to 5 microM, CYP3A4), miconazole (0.25 nM to 15 microM, CYP2C9) and alpha-naphoflavone (0.03 nM to 1.5 microM, CYP1A2). Incubation time was 10-20 minutes and metabolites assessed were dextrorphan (CYP2D6), 6-beta-OH-testosterone (CYP3A4), 4′-OH-diclofenac (CYP2C9) and acetaminophen (CYP1A2). Internal standards were labetalol (CYP2D6), loratidine (CYP3A4), carbamazepine (CYP2C9) and metoprolol (CYP1A2). Analyses were performed using standard LC/MS/MS protocols.
In Vivo T Lymphocyte Trafficking Analyses
Animal care committee. The animal care facility employed is accredited by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). This study was approved by a certified Animal Care Committee and complied with CACC standards and regulations governing the use of animals for research.
Animals. Female C57BI/6 mice (Charles River, St-Constant, Qc), weighting 16-19 g at delivery were used for this study. Following arrival in the animal facility, all animals were subjected to a general health evaluation. An acclimation period of 7-14 days was allowed before the beginning of the study.
Housing environment. The animals were housed under standardized environmental conditions. The mice were housed in auto-ventilated cages, 2-3 per cage. Each cage was equipped with a manual water distribution system. A standard certified commercial rodent diet was provided ad libitum. Tap water was provided ad libitum at all times. It is considered that there are no known contaminants in the diet and water that would interfere with the objectives of the study. Each cage was identified for the corresponding group, indicating the treatment and the identity of the animals housed in the cage. Mice from different treatment groups were not mixed.
The animal room was maintained at a controlled temperature of 21.5±1° C. and a relative humidity of 40±10%. A controlled lighting system assured 12 hours light, 12 hours dark per day to the animals. Adequate ventilation of 8-10 air changes per hour was maintained.
Administration of DSS. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was administered to C57B1/6 mice through addition to their drinking water at 2-3%. Mice accessed the DSS-treated water ad libitum over a 5-day period. Body weight and disease activity index (“DAI”) were measured on Day 5 in order to distribute DSS-treated animals in two uniform groups prior to dosing. Specific symptoms associated with colitis were scored based on the severity of each particular symptoms: 1—blood in stool (negative hemoccult, positive hemoccult, blood traces in stool visible, rectal bleeding); 2—stool consistency (normal, soft but still formed, very soft, diarrhea); 3—posture and fur (normal; ruffled fur; ruffled fur combined to slight hunched posture and slight dehydration; ruffled fur combined to hunched posture, dehydration and altered walking; moribund (euthanasia is mandatory before the animal reach this point). The overall DAI score was the sum of the three parameters (maximum score of 9). DAI assessment was performed on Day 5 only (prior to dosing).
Oral dosing of the test article and vehicle. On day 6, the test articles were administered in the morning, as a single slow bolus (over approximately 5 seconds) via oral route, according to the procedure of administration of solution by gavage: the animal was firmly restrained. A bulb-tipped gastric gavage needle of 22G was passed through the side of the mouth and was advanced towards the oesophagus. The test articles and the vehicle were dosed orally at 10 mL/kg. Dosing volume was individually adjusted according to the body weight of each animal to reach the target dose.
Intravenous dosing of the test article and the vehicle. On day 6, the test article, DATK32 antibody, and the vehicle were administered in the morning, as a single slow bolus injection (over approximately 5 seconds) via the tail vein, according to the procedure of administration of solution by intravenous administration: the animal was restrained and its tail was warmed prior to dosing. A needle of 30G was used to inject the test article, or the vehicle, through the median tail vein at a dosing volume of 5 mL/kg. Dosing volume was individually adjusted according to the body weight of each animal to reach the target dose of DATK32 control antibody.
Collection of samples. On Day 6, five hours after test article or vehicle dosing, the animals were euthanized by cardiac puncture under general anesthesia, according to the “Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals” published by the CCAC. Blood was transferred in a Sarstedt tube containing EDTA. Mesenteric and peripheral (inguinal, auxiliary and brachial) lymph nodes were collected and transferred on ice to corresponding tubes containing cold PBS. Nodes were kept on ice until tissue preparation.
Cell population labeling. Blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture and collected on EDTA-coated tubes. Mensenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and peripheral lymph nodes (PLN) were also collected. Mononuclear cells from the tissues were isolated using density gradient (Lympholyte) and they were stained with fluorescent antibodies. The cells (5×104) were first incubated 15 minutes with BD mouse FeBlock (Fcγ III/II Receptor) followed by a 30-minute incubation with specific antibodies. After washes, cells were fixed using BD Fix Solution.
Specific Antibodies Used:
Percentage of different subpopulations of T lymphocytes were then analyzed using FACS-Calibur cytometer.
In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Assessments in Rodents
Oral bioavailability of test compounds was conducted by assessing plasma exposure of following one or two oral doses in mice and, in some cases, comparing said plasma exposure with that following a single intravenous dose of the same compound.
More detail on experimental design follows:
In all cases, formulation of test compound was 30% Labrasol in PBS (v/v) for oral dosing and 25% PEG-400 in PBS (v/v) for intravenous dosing.
Collection of peripheral blood proceeded as follows:
In some cases, collections proceeded up to 24 hours. Also note that in a few studies, liver and colon were also collected from mice concomitantly with peripheral blood and on a terminal (and serial) basis.
Other study details include:
Animals: Male CD-1 mice (20-25 g) from Charles River Labs were acclimatized for a minimum of 5 days prior to dosing. Body weights were recorded on the day of dosing.
Food restriction: Animals dosed p.o. were deprived of food overnight and fed ˜2 h following dosing.
Clinical observations: Animals were observed at the time of dosing and each sample collection. Any abnormalities were documented.
Dosing: The formulation containing the test compound were administered p.o. by gavage with disposable feeding needles.
Sample collection: Terminal blood and tissue samples were collected under O2/CO2 anesthesia by cardiac puncture. The colon samples (a 0.5 cm section, 2.5 cm distal to the cecum) will be excised, rinsed with ice cold PBS, blotted and weighed (as applicable). The livers will be blotted and weighed. Plasma, liver and colon samples will be stored frozen at −80 degrees centigrade until bioanalysis.
Sample processing/storage: All blood samples were transferred into K2EDTA tubes on wet ice and centrifuged within 5 min (3200×g for 5 min at 4° C.) to obtain plasma. Samples were stored frozen at −80° C. until bioanalysis.
Sample retention: Plasma samples were analyzed and any remaining samples were stored frozen at −80° C. until the study is completed. Remaining sample were discarded.
Bioanalytical Method Qualification and Sample Analysis:
Matrix: Mouse Plasma
Instrumentation: AB Sciex API 4000 Q-TRAP MS/MS system equipped with an Agilent LC system with a binary pump, a solvent degasser, a thermostatted column compartment, a CTC autosampler and a divert valve installed between the column and mass spectrometer inlet.
Method Qualification:
The determination of the quantification dynamic range using non-zero calibration standards (STDs) in singlet. The STDs will consist of a blank matrix sample (without IS), a zero sample (with IS), and at least 6 non-zero STDs covering the expected range and including the lower level of quantitation (LLOQ).
Three injections of a system suitability sample (neat solution containing the analytes and IS) bracketing the batch.
Method Acceptance Criteria:
At least 75% of non-zero STDs must be included in the calibration curve with all back-calculated concentrations within ±20% deviation from nominal concentrations (±25% for the lower level of quantification, LLOQ).
The correlation coefficient (r) of the calibration curve must be greater than or equal to 0.99.
The area ratio variation between the pre-and post-run injections of the system suitability samples is within ±25%.
Samples which are >1-fold the highest calibration standard, will be diluted and re-assayed along with a corresponding dilution quality control standard.
Sample Analysis Batch:
Three injections of a system suitability sample bracketing the batch
The STDs in ascending order bracketing the study samples and dosing solutions
Study Design
Description of Tested Compounds
Name: Vehicle Labrasol/PBS
Volume: 8.0 mL
Solution: Labrasol (30%)/PBS (70%)
Storage: 4° C.
Name: ET02451 (Compound No. 340)
Volume: 3.7 mL
Solution: 8 mg/mL in Labrasol (30%)/PBS (70%)
Storage: 4° C.
Name: ET02452 (Compound No. 341)
Volume: 3.45 mL
Solution: 8 mg/mL in Labrasol (30%)/PBS (70%)
Storage: 4° C.
Name: ET02452 (Compound No. 341)
Volume: 3.40 mL
Solution: 13 mg/mL in PEG400 (40%)/PBS (60%)
Storage: 4° C.
Name: DATK32 Antibody (eBiosciences #14-5887-85, lot #4282190)
Volume: 5 mL
Solution: 0.5 mg/mL concentrated to 2.5 mg/mL following concentration step
Storage: 4° C.
Name: Vehicle PEG/PBS
Volume: 8.0 mL
Solution: PEG400 (40%)/PBS (60%)
Storage: 4° C.
Animal care committee. The animal care facility employed is accredited by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). This study was approved by a certified Animal Care Committee and complied with CACC standards and regulations governing the use of animals for research.
Animals. Female C57BI/6 mice (Charles River, St-Constant, Qc), weighting 16-19 g at delivery were used for this study. Following arrival in the animal facility, all animals were subjected to a general health evaluation. An acclimation period of 7-14 days was allowed before the beginning of the study.
Housing environment. The animals were housed under standardized environmental conditions. The mice were housed in auto-ventilated cages, 2-3 per cage. Each cage was equipped with a manual water distribution system. A standard certified commercial rodent diet was provided ad libitum. Tap water was provided ad libitum at all times. It is considered that there are no known contaminants in the diet and water that would interfere with the objectives of the study. Each cage was identified for the corresponding group, indicating the treatment and the identity of the animals housed in the cage. Mice from different treatment groups were not mixed.
The animal room was maintained at a controlled temperature of 21.5±1° C. and a relative humidity of 40±10%. A controlled lighting system assured 12 hours light, 12 hours dark per day to the animals. Adequate ventilation of 8-10 air changes per hour was maintained.
Oral dosing of the test article and the vehicle. From Day 5 to Day 8, nacellins and the vehicle were administered as a single slow bolus (over approximately 5 seconds) via oral route (p.o.), according to the procedure of administration of solution by gavage: the animal was firmly restrained. A bulb-tipped gastric gavage needle of 22G was passed through the side of the mouth and was advanced towards the oesophagus. The test articles and the vehicle were dosed orally at 5 mL/kg. Dosing volume was individually adjusted according to the body weight of each animal to reach the target dose of ET02451and ET02452 (40 mg/kg).
Intraperitoneal dosing of the test articles and the vehicle. On day 5, DATK32 antibody was administered in only on Day 5, as a single slow bolus (over approximately 5 seconds) via the i.p. route. ET02452 prepared in PEG400 (40%)/PBS (60%) and the i.p. vehicle (PEG400 (40%)/PBS (60%)) were administered from Day 5 to Day 8. Intraperitoneal administration was performed accordingly to the following procedure: the mouse was restrained manually and held with the head and body tilted downward. The tip of the needle (27 G) was inserted through the skin and just past the abdominal wall. A short pull back of the plunger of the syringe was done prior to administration of the solution to make sure that the syringe was not inserted in any abdominal organ (fluid would be pulled back into the syringe in this case). Dosing volume was individually adjusted according to the body weight of each animal to reach the target dose of DATK32 antibody (15 mg/kg) and of ET02452 (65 mg/kg).
Inflammation Score. Once the mouse was euthanized, the colon was collected and its length was measured. Lesion length was also measured. Colon inflammation was scored based on severity of oedema and ulceration.
Disease Activity Index (DAI) assessment. Body weight and DAI were measured on Day 5 in order to distribute DSS-treated animals in two uniform groups prior dosing. Specific symptoms associated to UC were scored based on the severity of each particular symptoms: 1—blood in stool (negative hemoccult, positive hemoccult, blood traces in stool visible, rectal bleeding); 2—stool consistency (normal, soft but still formed, very soft, diarrhea); 3—posture and fur (normal; ruffled fur; ruffled fur combined to slight hunched posture and slight dehydration; ruffled fur combined to hunched posture, dehydration and altered walking; moribund (euthanasia is mandatory before the animal reach this point). The overall DAI score was the sum of the three parameters (maximum score 9). Body weight measurement and DAI assessment were performed also on Day 8 to evaluate the effect of the treatments.
Collection of samples. On Day 8, five hours after ET02451-01, ET02452-01 and vehicle dosing, the animals were euthanized by cardiac puncture under general anesthesia, according to the “Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals” published by the CCAC. Blood was transferred in a Sarstedt tube containing EDTA. Mesenteric and peripheral (inguinal, auxiliary and brachial) lymph nodes were collected and transferred on ice in corresponding tubes containing cold PBS. Nodes were kept on ice until tissue preparation.
Cell population labeling. Blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture and collected on EDTA-coated tubes. Mensenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and peripheral lymph nodes (PLN) were also collected. Mononuclear cells from the tissues will be isolated using density gradient (Lympholyte) and they were stained with fluorescent antibodies. The cells (5×104) were first incubated 15 minutes with BD mouse FeBlock (Fcγ III/II Receptor) followed by a 30-minute incubation with specific antibodies. After washes, cells were fixed using BD Fix Solution. Percentage of different subpopulations of T lymphocytes were then analysed using FACSCalibur cytometer. Antibodies employed were the same as listed for the single-dose PD studies above.
Results and Discussion
Compounds were synthesized in accordance with the above-noted methods. A selection of compounds were characterized using NMR (not all data shown). A subset of NMR data is provided for select compounds in
Plasma Protein Binding Determination
The sequestration of nacellins by plasma proteins was relatively low. In rat plasma, free fraction (% unbound) ranged from an 9.5% to 76.9% (mean of 42.6%), whereas in mouse plasma, free fraction ranged from 15.7% to 79.9% (mean of 47.8%). Plasma protein binding for the small molecule positive control, propranolol, was in the normal range of ˜21% (free fraction) in mouse plasma and ˜15% (free fraction) in rat plasma. The compounds assessed include:
ET01792 (Compound No. 5)
ET00762 (an analog of Compound No. 5, in which the phenylalanine residue has been replaced by a tryptophan residue)
ET01813 (Compound No. 12)
ET01827 (Compound No. 15)
Aqueous Solubility Assay
As shown in the table below, the aqueous solubility of integrin alpha-4-beta-7-inhibiting nacellins was relatively high, with a mean solubility of 715 microM. The range of solubilities measured in triplicate for 15 distinct compounds was 183 microM to greater than 1000 microM. Note that the maximum concentration evaluated was different for different test articles based on the presumed aqueous solubility. The compounds assessed include:
UM0131995-05 (Compound No. 4)
UM0132366-01 (Compound No. 87)
Attorney Docket No. 50412-119003
UM0132368-01 (Compound No. 88)
UM0132369-01 (Compound No. 89)
UM0132370-01 (Compound No. 52)
UM0132371-01 (Compound No. 90)
UM0132374-01 (Compound No. 65)
UM0132375-02 (Compound No. 42)
UM0132376-01 (Compound No. 92)
UM0132377-01 (an analog of Compound No. 92, in which the lysine residue has been replaced by an ornithine residue)
UM0134839-01 (an analog of Compound No. 455, in which the phenylalanine and betaHomoLys residues have been replaced by a tyrosine residue)
UM0134690-01 (Compound No. 358)
UM0134830-01 (an analog of Compound No. 159, in which the tyrosine and alanine residues have been exchanged with respect to position within the sequence)
UM0134677-01 (Compound No. 158)
UM0134700-01 (Compound No. 62)
Cytochrome P450 Inhibition Assay
The inhibitory activity of various nacellins against four isoforms of cytochrome P450 was assessed using human liver microsomes. The four isoforms evaluated were: CYP2D5, CYP3A4, CYP2C9, and CYP1A2. As shown below, for the seven nacellins evaluated in this experiment, 85% of the results of the assays showed an IC50>15 microM (above the limit of detection). However, IC50s of <10 microM, and in one case, <1 microM, were recorded for a few compounds. These compounds were subjected to a structural analysis so as to understand the functional groups contributing to this mild CYP450-inhibiting activity. The compounds assessed include:
ET01792 (Compound No. 5)
ET00762-02 (an analog of Compound No. 5, in which the phenylalanine residue has been replaced by a tryptophan residue)
ET01813 (Compound No. 12)
ET00328-01 (an analog of Compound No. 4, in which the tyrosine, leucine, aspartic acid and threonine residues have been replaced by threonine, methyl leucine, valine and phenylalanine residues)
ET01827 (Compound No. 15)
ET01842-01 (Compound No. 413)
In Vivo T Lymphocyte Trafficking Analyses
The ability of several integrin alpha-4-beta-7-inhibiting nacellins to attenuate the trafficking of integrin alpha-4-beta-7-expressing T lymphocytes was demonstrated in in vivo pharmacodynamics studies in DSS-treated mice. As shown in
As shown, the murine anti-alpha-4-beta-7 monoclonal antibody (DATK32; 25 mg/kg) substantially reduces homing of integrin a4b7+ T lymphocytes to the mesenteric lymph nodes (“MLN”), but did not affect the counts of CD11a+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. As for the nacellins, at 100 mg/kg, the high oral bioavailability nacellin, ET1792 (Compound No. 5), but not the low oral bioavailability nacellin, ET2154 (Compound No. 105), evoked a significant reduction of homing to the MLN following oral dosing. When the dose of ET2154 was increased to 200 mg/kg, it evoked a significant and robust attenuation of homing to the MLN. These results demonstrate the importance of oral bioavailability (and the concomitant systemic exposure) to attenuate trafficking of T lymphocytes via an integrin alpha-4-beta-7—MAdCAM facilitated extravasation event from high endothelial venules in gut-associated lymphoid tissues. Under no circumstances did test nacellins produce a significant change in the content of CD11a+ T cells in peripheral blood (similarly, no changes in the CD34 and CD45 T lymphocyte content in peripheral blood was recorded for any nacellin; data not shown).
In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Assessments in Rodents
We assessed the pharmacokinetic profile of several integrin alpha-4-beta-7-inhibiting nacellins following oral doses, and in some cases, intravenous doses for naïve mice.
As shown in the
Referring to
In a subsequent study of ET1813 (Compound No. 12), single doses were administered via oral gavage (40 mg/kg) and intravenous injection (5 mg/kg). The absorption of this compound was less than that of ET1792, with a calculated oral bioavailability of ˜1%, despite a significant terminal half-life of nearly 2 hours.
Another set of pharmacokinetic studies were performed on ET2451 (Compound No. 340) in naïve mice. In this study, compound exposure in plasma, colon and liver were measured following both single oral doses (40 mg/kg) and single intravenous doses (5 mg/kg). As illustrated in the
8-Day Efficacy Study in DSS Model (Therapeutic)
We assessed the efficacy of two distinct nacellins in the DSS experimental model of ulcerative colitis: ET2451 (Compound No. 340) and ET2452 (Compound No. 341). As shown above, ET2451 demonstrates significant absorption from the gut and systemic exposure following oral dosing, whereas ET2452 is a low oral bioavailability entity. Both test compounds were administered b.i.d. to mice over the course of three days—following an initial 5-days exposure to DSS (2-3%) in their drinking water. The efficacy and pharmacodynamics effect of the nacellins was compared to the mouse anti-integrin alpha-4-beta-7 mAb, DATK32. ET2452 was administered both orally and, to another group, via i.p. injection. The objective of this experimental design was to demonstrate that, although it may not be efficacious when administered orally, it produced substantial efficacy with i.p. dosing.
Disease activity index (“DAI”) score was assessed individually based on the severity of three specific symptoms: blood in stool, stool consistency and general health assessment (posture, fur and dehydration), on Day 5 and 8. As shown in
Ulcerative colitis is associated with inflammatory changes of the intestinal tract with reduction of the length of the mice colon (raw data in Annex IV). DSS+vehicle control group showed a mean colon length of 4.3±0.3 cm and a lesion length of 1.7±0.3 cm corresponding to a lesion/colon length of 40% (
Whether treatments would have been compared in separate experiments, a Student t-test would have been used for statistical comparison of each test article treated-group with the control vehicle treated-group. In that case, by a separated Student t-test, a statistical significant effect by oral ET02452-01 and i.p. DATK32 would have been obtained on lesion length and lesion/colon length.
The final score of colon inflammation was calculated by multiplying macroscopic score×lesion/colon length ratio for each mouse. Referring to
Cell Populations
There are no statistical differences between the percentage of CD3+CD4+CD11a+ T cell populations in vehicle mice and compound-treated ones in the three tissues tested (see
It is of note that over 600 macrocycles were made that exhibited less activity than those summarized in Tables 1A, 1B and 1C. A selection of the macrocycles with less or little activity are summarized in Tables 2A, 2B and 2C.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. All documents disclosed herein, including those in the following reference list, are incorporated by reference.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/254003 filed on Nov. 11, 2015, incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62254003 | Nov 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15775309 | May 2018 | US |
| Child | 17214530 | US |
