Patent Application
20230071934
The field of the present disclosure relates to methods, treatments and materials for treating diseases or disorders mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids. In particular, the present disclosure provides for methods of treating such diseases and disorders with a PDE1 inhibitor in combination with additional therapeutic agents.
Eleven families of phosphodiesterases (PDEs) have been identified but only PDEs in Family I, the Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterases (CaM-PDEs), have been shown to mediate the calcium and cyclic nucleotide (e.g. cAMP and cGMP) signaling pathways. The three known CaM-PDE genes, PDE1A, PDE1B, and PDE1C, are all expressed in central nervous system tissue. PDE1A is expressed throughout the brain with higher levels of expression in the CA1 to CA3 layers of the hippocampus and cerebellum and at a low level in the striatum. PDE1A is also expressed in the lung and heart. PDE1B is predominately expressed in the striatum, dentate gyrus, olfactory tract and cerebellum, and its expression correlates with brain regions having high levels of dopaminergic innervation. Although PDE1B is primarily expressed in the central nervous system, it may be detected in the heart. PDE1C is primarily expressed in olfactory epithelium, cerebellar granule cells, and striatum. PDE1C is also expressed in the heart and vascular smooth muscle.
Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases decrease intracellular cAMP and cGMP signaling by hydrolyzing these cyclic nucleotides to their respective inactive 5′-monophosphates (5′AMP and 5′GMP). CaM-PDEs play a critical role in mediating signal transduction in brain cells, particularly within an area of the brain known as the basal ganglia or striatum. For example, NMDA-type glutamate receptor activation and/or dopamine D2 receptor activation result in increased intracellular calcium concentrations, leading to activation of effectors such as calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and calcineurin and to activation of CaM-PDEs, resulting in reduced cAMP and cGMP. Dopamine D1 receptor activation, on the other hand, leads to activation of calcium dependent nucleotide cyclases, resulting in increased cAMP and cGMP. These cyclic nucleotides in turn activate protein kinase A (PKA; cAMP-dependent protein kinase) and/or protein kinase G (PKG; cAMP-dependent protein kinase) that phosphorylate downstream signal transduction pathway elements such as DARPP-32 (dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein) and cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB).
CaM-PDEs can therefore affect dopamine-regulated and other intracellular signaling pathways in the basal ganglia (striatum), including but not limited to nitric oxide, noradrenergic, neurotensin, CCK, VIP, serotonin, glutamate (e.g., NMDA receptor, AMPA receptor), GABA, acetylcholine, adenosine (e.g., A2A receptor), cannabinoid receptor, natriuretic peptide (e.g., ANP, BNP, CNP) and endorphin intracellular signaling pathways.
Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a bifunctional enzyme that in humans is encoded by the EPHX2 gene. This enzyme binds to specific epoxides and converts them to corresponding diols. sEH is thought to have a key role in regulating a group of bioactive lipid metabolites referred to as epoxygenated fatty acids (EpFAs), by effectively degrading these potent biomolecules to inactive or less active metabolites. Epoxygenated fatty acids play a role in a variety of biological pathways, ranging from inducing anesthesia to combating inflammation and fibrillation. Inhibition of sEH likewise results in a wide variety of biological outcomes. For example, inhibitors of sEH have been shown to reduce blood pressure, inflammation, and pain in a number of mammalian disease models. The diverse biological activities of inhibiting sEH are generally linked to increases in the levels of the epoxygenated arachidonic acid metabolites, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which are among the endogenous substrates of the sEH. In addition to the predicted activities of natural EETs, chemical inhibition of sEH by synthetic inhibitors or genetic knockout of the sEH gene effectively increases the levels of EETs and results in anti-inflammatory effects and alleviates inflammatory hyperalgesia.
Elevated levels of cAMP have been shown to correlate with elevated levels of EpFAs. Without being bound by theory, it has been suggested that elevation of cAMP levels lead to lipolysis, which results in the release of free fatty acids, including EpFAs, into the plasma. PDE1 inhibitors are known to increase cyclic nucleotide signaling. Given the ubiquitous nature of cAMP-mediated signaling, the selective interaction of EpFAs with cAMP points toward potential therapeutic value in a variety of diseases and conditions, such as pain, neuroinflammation, and cardiac hypertrophy.
Provided herein are methods of treatment for treating a diseases or disorders mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids through the administration of at least one PDE1 inhibitor and at least one sEH inhibitor.
Without being bound by theory, it is hypothesized that concurrent inhibition of the sEH and PDEs provide a number of advantages. For example, it is believed that administration of a PDE1 inhibitor according to the present disclosure and a sEH inhibitor provide a synergistic pharmaceutical therapy for disorders mediated by cyclic nucleotides (e.g., cAMP) and/or EpFAs (e.g., epoxyeicosatrienoic acids).
Thus, in some embodiments, the present disclosure provides for a method of treating a condition, disease or disorder mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids, the method comprising administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of a PDE1 inhibitor (i.e., a compound according to any of Formulas I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, and/or VI) and a pharmaceutically effective amount of a soluble epoxide hydrolase to a subject in need thereof. In some aspects of the embodiments, the condition, disease or disorder mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids is selected from pain, neurodegenerative disorders, mental disorders, circulatory and cardiovascular disorders, respiratory disorders, inflammatory disorders.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides for a combination therapy comprising a PDE1 inhibitor (e.g., a compound according to any of Formulas I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, and/or VI) and a sEH inhibitor.
In some embodiments, the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods of treatment and prophylaxis described herein are selective PDE1 inhibitors.
In one embodiment the invention provides that the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods of treatment and prophylaxis described herein are compounds of Formula I:
wherein
In another embodiment the invention provides that the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods as described herein are Formula 1a:
wherein
(i) R2 and R5 are independently H or hydroxy and R3 and R4 together form a tri- or tetra-methylene bridge [pref. with the carbons carrying R3 and R4 having the R and S configuration respectively]; or R2 and R3 are each methyl and R4 and R5 are each H; or R2, R4 and R5 are H and R3 is isopropyl [pref. the carbon carrying R3 having the R configuration];
(ii) R6 is (optionally halo-substituted) phenylamino, (optionally halo-substituted) benzylamino, C1-4alkyl, or C1-4alkyl sulfide; for example, phenylamino or 4-fluorophenylamino;
(iii) R10 is C1-4alkyl, methylcarbonyl, hydroxyethyl, carboxylic acid, sulfonamide, (optionally halo- or hydroxy-substituted) phenyl, (optionally halo- or hydroxy-substituted) pyridyl (for example 6-fluoropyrid-2-yl), or thiadiazolyl (e.g., 1,2,3-thiadiazol-4-yl); and X and Y are independently C or N,
in free, pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug form, including its enantiomers, diastereoisomers and racemates.
In another embodiment the invention provides that the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods of treatment and prophylaxis described herein are compounds of Formula II:
in free, salt or prodrug form.
In yet another embodiment the invention provides that the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods of treatment and prophylaxis described herein are Formula III:
wherein
in free or salt form.
In yet another embodiment the invention provides that the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods of treatment and prophylaxis described herein are Formula IV
in free or salt form, wherein
In another embodiment the invention provides that the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods as described herein are Formula V:
In another embodiment the invention provides that the PDE1 inhibitors for use in the methods as described herein are Formula VI:
in free or salt form.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides for administration of a PDE1 inhibitor for use in the methods described herein (e.g., a compound according to Formulas I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, and/or VI), wherein the inhibitor is a compound according to the following:
In one embodiment the invention provides administration of a PDE1 inhibitor for use in the methods described herein, wherein the inhibitor is a compound according to the following:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
In another embodiment, the invention provides administration of a PDE1 inhibitor for use in the methods described herein, wherein the inhibitor is a compound according to the following:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
In still another embodiment, the invention provides administration of a PDE1 inhibitor for use in the methods described herein, wherein the inhibitor is a compound according to the following:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
In still another embodiment, the invention provides administration of a PDE1 inhibitor for use in the methods described herein, wherein the inhibitor is a compound according to the following:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
In still another embodiment, the invention provides administration of a PDE1 inhibitor for use in the methods described herein, wherein the inhibitor is a compound according to the following:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
In one embodiment, selective PDE1 inhibitors of any of the preceding formulae (e.g., Formulas I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, and/or VI) are compounds that inhibit phosphodiesterase-mediated (e.g., PDE1-mediated, especially PDE1B-mediated) hydrolysis of cGMP, e.g., the preferred compounds have an IC50 of less than 1 M, preferably less than 500 nM, preferably less than 50 nM, and preferably less than 5 nM in an immobilized-metal affinity particle reagent PDE assay, in free or salt form.
In other embodiments, the invention provides administration of a PDE1 inhibitor for treatment according to the methods described herein, wherein the inhibitor is a compound according to the following:
Further examples of PDE1 inhibitors suitable for use in the methods and treatments discussed herein can be found in International Publication WO2006133261A2; U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,273,750; 9,000,001; 9,624,230; International Publication WO2009075784A1; U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,273,751; 8,829,008; 9,403,836; International Publication WO2014151409A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,073,936; 9,598,426; U.S. Pat. No. 9,556,186; U.S. Publication 2017/0231994A1, International Publication WO2016022893A1, and U.S. Publication 2017/0226117A1, each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Still further examples of PDE1 inhibitors suitable for use in the methods and treatments discussed herein can be found in International Publication WO2018007249A1; U.S. Publication 2018/0000786; International Publication WO2015118097A1; U.S. Pat. No. 9,718,832; International Publication WO2015091805A1; U.S. Pat. No. 9,701,665; U.S. Publication 2015/0175584A1; U.S. Publication 2017/0267664A1; International Publication WO2016055618A1; U.S. Publication 2017/0298072A1; International Publication WO2016170064A1; U.S. Publication 2016/0311831A1; International Publication WO2015150254A1; U.S. Publication 2017/0022186A1; International Publication WO2016174188A1; U.S. Publication 2016/0318939A1; U.S. Publication 2017/0291903A1; International Publication WO2018073251A1; International Publication WO2017178350A1; U.S. Publication 2017/0291901A1; International Publication WO2018/115067; U.S. Publication 2018/0179200A; U.S. Publication US20160318910A1; U.S. Pat. No. 9,868,741; International Publication WO2017/139186A1; International Application WO2016/040083; U.S. Publication 2017/0240532; International Publication WO 2016033776A1; U.S. Publication 2017/0233373; International Publication WO2015130568; International Publication WO2014159012; U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,034,864; 9,266,859; International Publication WO2009085917; U.S. Pat. No. 8,084,261; International Publication WO2018039052; U.S. Publication US20180062729; and International Publication WO2019027783 each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In any situation in which the statements of any documents incorporated by reference contradict or are incompatible with any statements made in the present disclosure, the statements of the present disclosure shall be understood as controlling.
Still further examples of PDE1 inhibitors and suitable methods of use are disclosed in International Application PCT/US2019/033941 and U.S. Provisional Application 62/789,499, both of which are incorporated by reference herein.
If not otherwise specified or clear from context, the following terms herein have the following meanings:
Compounds of the Disclosure, e.g., PDE1 inhibitors as described herein, may exist in free or salt form, e.g., as acid addition salts. In this specification unless otherwise indicated, language such as “Compounds of the Disclosure” is to be understood as embracing the compounds in any form, for example free or acid addition salt form, or where the compounds contain acidic substituents, in base addition salt form. The Compounds of the Disclosure are intended for use as pharmaceuticals, therefore pharmaceutically acceptable salts are preferred. Salts which are unsuitable for pharmaceutical uses may be useful, for example, for the isolation or purification of free Compounds of the Disclosure or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, are therefore also included.
Compounds of the Disclosure may in some cases also exist in prodrug form. A prodrug form is compound which converts in the body to a Compound of the Disclosure. For example, when the Compounds of the Disclosure contain hydroxy or carboxy substituents, these substituents may form physiologically hydrolysable and acceptable esters. As used herein, “physiologically hydrolysable and acceptable ester” means esters of Compounds of the Disclosure which are hydrolysable under physiological conditions to yield acids (in the case of Compounds of the Disclosure which have hydroxy substituents) or alcohols (in the case of Compounds of the Disclosure which have carboxy substituents) which are themselves physiologically tolerable at doses to be administered. Therefore, wherein the Compound of the Disclosure contains a hydroxy group, for example, Compound-OH, the acyl ester prodrug of such compound, i.e., Compound-O—C(O)—C1-4alkyl, can hydrolyze in the body to form physiologically hydrolysable alcohol (Compound-OH) on the one hand and acid on the other (e.g., HOC(O)—C1-4alkyl). Alternatively, wherein the Compound of the Disclosure contains a carboxylic acid, for example, Compound-C(O)OH, the acid ester prodrug of such compound, Compound-C(O)O—C1-4alkyl can hydrolyze to form Compound-C(O)OH and HO—C1-4alkyl. As will be appreciated the term thus embraces conventional pharmaceutical prodrug forms.
In another embodiment, the disclosure further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a PDE1 inhibitor in combination with a soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor, each in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form, in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The term “combination,” as used herein, embraces simultaneous, sequential, or contemporaneous administration of the PDE1 inhibitor and the sEH inhibitor. In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition containing such a compound. In some embodiments, the combination of the PDE1 inhibitor and the sEH inhibitor allows the sEH inhibitor to be administered in a dosage lower than would be effective if administered as sole monotherapy.
In another embodiment, the disclosure further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a Compound of the Disclosure, in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form, in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In another embodiment, the disclosure further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a Compound of the Disclosure, in free, pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug form, in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In some embodiments, the Compounds of the Disclosure may be modified to affect their rate of metabolism, e.g., to increase half life in vivo. In some embodiments, the compounds may be deuterated or fluorinated to reduce the rate of metabolism of the compounds disclosed herein.
In still another further embodiment, the compounds disclosed herein may be in the form of a pharmaceutical composition, for example for oral administration, e.g., in the form of tablets or capsules, or for parenteral administration. In some embodiments, the compounds are provided in the form of a long acting depot composition for administration by injection to provide sustained release. In some embodiments, the solid drug for oral administration or as a depot may be in a suitable polymer matrix to provide delayed release of the active compound.
The Compounds of the Disclosure and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts may be made using the methods as described and exemplified herein and by methods similar thereto and by methods known in the chemical art. If not commercially available, starting materials for these processes may be made by procedures, which are selected from the chemical art using techniques which are similar or analogous to the synthesis of known compounds. Starting materials and methods of making Compounds of the Disclosure are described in the patent applications cited and incorporated by reference above.
The Compounds of the Disclosure include their enantiomers, diastereoisomers and racemates, as well as their polymorphs, hydrates, solvates and complexes. Some individual compounds within the scope of this disclosure may contain double bonds. Representations of double bonds in this disclosure are meant to include both the E and the Z isomer of the double bond. In addition, some compounds within the scope of this disclosure may contain one or more asymmetric centers. This disclosure includes the use of any of the optically pure stereoisomers as well as any combination of stereoisomers.
It is also intended that the Compounds of the Disclosure encompass their stable and unstable isotopes. Stable isotopes are nonradioactive isotopes which contain one additional neutron compared to the abundant nuclides of the same species (i.e., element). It is expected that the activity of compounds comprising such isotopes would be retained, and such compound would also have utility for measuring pharmacokinetics of the non-isotopic analogs. For example, the hydrogen atom at a certain position on the Compounds of the Disclosure may be replaced with deuterium (a stable isotope which is non-radioactive). Examples of known stable isotopes include, but not limited to, deuterium, 13C, 15N, 18O. Alternatively, unstable isotopes, which are radioactive isotopes which contain additional neutrons compared to the abundant nuclides of the same species (i.e., element), e.g., 123I, 131I, 125I, 11C, 18F, may replace the corresponding abundant species of I, C and F. Another example of useful isotope of the compound of the disclosure is the 11C isotope. These radio isotopes are useful for radio-imaging and/or pharmacokinetic studies of the compounds of the disclosure.
The present disclosure further provides for inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolase. Many sEH inhibitors are known, of a variety of chemical structures. Derivatives in which the urea, carbamate, piperidine or amide pharmacophore (as used herein, “pharmacophore” refers to the section of the structure of a ligand that binds to the sEH) is covalently bound to both an adamantane and to a 12-carbon chain dodecane are particularly useful as sEH inhibitors. Derivatives that are metabolically stable are preferred, as they are expected to have greater activity in vivo. Selective and competitive inhibition of sEH in vitro by a variety of urea, carbamate, and amide derivatives is taught, for example, by Morisseau et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 96:8849-8854 (1999), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and provides substantial guidance on designing urea derivatives that inhibit the enzyme.
Derivatives of urea are transition state mimetics that form a preferred group of sEH inhibitors. Within this group, N,N′-dodecyl-cyclohexyl urea (DCU), is preferred as an inhibitor, while N-cyclohexyl-N′-dodecylurea (CDU) is particularly preferred. Some compounds, such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (a lipophilic diimide), can decompose to an active urea inhibitor such as DCU. Any particular urea derivative or other compound can be easily tested for its ability to inhibit sEH by standard assays, such as those discussed herein. The production and testing of urea and carbamate derivatives as sEH inhibitors is set forth in detail in, for example, Morisseau et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 96:8849-8854 (1999), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
N-Adamantyl-N′-dodecyl urea (“ADU”) is both metabolically stable and has particularly high activity on sEH. (Both the 1- and the 2-admamantyl ureas have been tested and have about the same high activity as an inhibitor of sEH.) Thus, isomers of adamantyl dodecyl urea are preferred inhibitors. It is further expected that N,N′-dodecyl-cyclohexyl urea (DCU), and other inhibitors of sEH, and particularly dodecanoic acid ester derivatives of urea, are suitable for use in the methods of the invention. Preferred inhibitors include:
Another preferred group of inhibitors are piperidines. The following Table sets forth some exemplar piperidines and their ability to inhibit sEH activity, expressed as the amount needed to reduce the activity of the enzyme by 50% (expressed as “IC50”).
Further preferred sEH inhibitors are disclosed in International Publication WO2009/049157A1, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,212,032 and 8,173,805, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. A particularly preferred sEH inhibitor is (cis)-N-{[4-cyano-2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]methyl}-3-{[4-methyl-6-(methylamino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino}cyclohexanecarboxamide, shown below:
A number of other sEH inhibitors which can be used in the methods and compositions of the invention are set forth, for example, in applications PCT/US2008/072199, PCT/US2007/006412, PCT/US2005/038282, PCT/US2005/08765, PCT/US2004/010298 and U.S. Published Patent Application Publication 2005/0026844, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Further examples of sEH inhibitors are disclosed in applications U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,496 (the '496 patent), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, also sets forth a number of sEH inhibitors which can be used in the methods of the invention. One category of these inhibitors comprises inhibitors that mimic the substrate for the enzyme. The lipid alkoxides (e.g., the 9-methoxide of stearic acid) are an exemplar of this group of inhibitors. In addition to the inhibitors discussed in the '496 patent, a dozen or more lipid alkoxides have been tested as sEH inhibitors, including the methyl, ethyl, and propyl alkoxides of oleic acid (also known as stearic acid alkoxides), linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid, and all have been found to act as inhibitors of sEH.
In another group of embodiments, the '496 patent sets forth sEH inhibitors that provide alternate substrates for the enzyme that are turned over slowly. Exemplars of this category of inhibitors are phenyl glycidols (e.g., S,S-4-nitrophenylglycidol), and chalcone oxides. The '496 patent notes that suitable chalcone oxides include 4-phenylchalcone oxide and 4-fluourochalcone oxide. The phenyl glycidols and chalcone oxides are believed to form stable acyl enzymes.
Additional inhibitors of sEH suitable for use in the methods of the invention are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,150,415 (the '415 patent) and 6,531,506 (the '506 patent), each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Two preferred classes of sEH inhibitors of the invention are compounds of Formulas 1 and 2, as described in the '415 and '506 patents. Means for preparing such compounds and assaying desired compounds for the ability to inhibit epoxide hydrolases are also described. The '506 patent, in particular, teaches scores of inhibitors of Formula 1 and some twenty sEH inhibitors of Formula 2, which were shown to inhibit human sEH at concentrations as low as 0.1 μM. Any particular sEH inhibitor can readily be tested to determine whether it will work in the methods of the invention by standard assays. Esters and salts of the various compounds discussed above or in the cited patents, for example, can be readily tested by these assays for their use in the methods of the invention.
As noted above, chalcone oxides can serve as an alternate substrate for the enzyme. While chalcone oxides have half lives which depend in part on the particular structure, as a group the chalcone oxides tend to have relatively short half lives (a drug's half life is usually defined as the time for the concentration of the drug to drop to half its original value. See, e.g., Thomas, G., Medicinal Chemistry: an introduction, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. (West Sussex, England, 2000)). Since the various uses of the invention contemplate inhibition of sEH over differing periods of time which can be measured in days, weeks, or months, chalcone oxides, and other inhibitors which have a half life whose duration is shorter than the practitioner deems desirable, are preferably administered in a manner which provides the agent over a period of time. For example, the inhibitor can be provided in materials that release the inhibitor slowly. Methods of administration that permit high local concentrations of an inhibitor over a period of time are known, and are not limited to use with inhibitors which have short half lives although, for inhibitors with a relatively short half life, they are a preferred method of administration.
In addition to the compounds in Formula 1 of the '506 patent, which interact with the enzyme in a reversible fashion based on the inhibitor mimicking an enzyme-substrate transition state or reaction intermediate, one can have compounds that are irreversible inhibitors of the enzyme. The active structures such as those in the Tables or Formula 1 of the '506 patent can direct the inhibitor to the enzyme where a reactive functionality in the enzyme catalytic site can form a covalent bond with the inhibitor. One group of molecules which could interact like this would have a leaving group such as a halogen or tosylate which could be attacked in an SN2 manner with a lysine or histidine. Alternatively, the reactive functionality could be an epoxide or Michael acceptor such as an α/β-unsaturated ester, aldehyde, ketone, ester, or nitrile.
Further sEH inhibitors include NSC 10203, HTS 04151 and HTS 00684. Further examples of sEH inhibitors are disclosed in Tripathi et al., Discovery of Novel Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors as Potent Vasodilators, Scientific Reports, 2018(8):1-12, and Shen H., Hammock B., Discovery of Inhibitors of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase: A Target with Multiple Potential Therapeutic Indications, J Med Chem. 2012 Mar. 8; 55(5): 1789-1808, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Further, in addition to the Formula 1 compounds, active derivatives can be designed for practicing the invention. For example, dicyclohexyl thio urea can be oxidized to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide which, with enzyme or aqueous acid (physiological saline), will form an active dicyclohexylurea. Alternatively, the acidic protons on carbamates or ureas can be replaced with a variety of substituents which, upon oxidation, hydrolysis or attack by a nucleophile such as glutathione, will yield the corresponding parent structure.
For example, there are many prodrugs possible, but replacement of one or both of the two active hydrogens in the ureas described here or the single active hydrogen present in carbamates is particularly attractive. Such derivatives have been extensively described and are commonly used in agricultural and medicinal chemistry to alter the pharmacological properties of the compounds. (Black et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 21(5):747-751 (1973); Fahmy et al, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 26(3):550-556 (1978); Jojima et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 31(3):613-620 (1983); and Fahmy et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 29(3):567-572 (1981)), each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Such active proinhibitor derivatives are within the scope of the present invention. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that suitable inhibitors of the invention mimic the enzyme transition state so that there is a stable interaction with the enzyme catalytic site. The inhibitors appear to form hydrogen bonds with the nucleophilic carboxylic acid and a polarizing tyrosine of the catalytic site.
In some embodiments, the sEH inhibitor used in the methods taught herein is a “soft drug.” Soft drugs are compounds of biological activity that are rapidly inactivated by enzymes as they move from a chosen target site. EETs and simple biodegradable derivatives administered to an area of interest may be considered to be soft drugs in that they are likely to be enzymatically degraded by sEH as they diffuse away from the site of interest following administration. Some sEH inhibitors, however, may diffuse or be transported following administration to regions where their activity in inhibiting sEH may not be desired. Thus, multiple soft drugs for treatment have been prepared. These include but are not limited to carbamates, esters, carbonates and amides placed in the sEH inhibitors, approximately 7.5 angstroms from the carbonyl of the central pharmacophore. These are highly active sEHI that yield biologically inactive metabolites by the action of esterase and/or amidase. Groups such as amides and carbamates on the central pharmacophores can also be used to increase solubility for applications in which that is desirable in forming a soft drug. Similarly, easily metabolized ethers may contribute soft drug properties and also increase the solubility.
In some embodiments, sEH inhibition can include the reduction of the amount of sEH. As used herein, therefore, sEH inhibitors can therefore encompass nucleic acids that inhibit expression of a gene encoding sEH. Many methods of reducing the expression of genes, such as reduction of transcription and siRNA, are known, and are discussed in more detail below.
Preferably, the inhibitor inhibits sEH without also significantly inhibiting microsomal epoxide hydrolase (“mEH”). Preferably, at concentrations of 500 μM, the inhibitor inhibits sEH activity by at least 50% while not inhibiting mEH activity by more than 10%. Preferred compounds have an IC50 (inhibition potency or, by definition, the concentration of inhibitor which reduces enzyme activity by 50%) of less than about 500 μM. Inhibitors with IC50s of less than 500 μM are preferred, with IC50s of less than 100 μM being more preferred and, in order of increasing preference, an IC50 of 50 μM, 40 μM, 30 μM, 25 μM, 20 μM, 15 μM, M, 5 μM, 3 μM, 2 μM, 1 μM or even less being still more preferred. Assays for determining sEH activity are known in the art and described elsewhere herein.
Methods of using Compounds of the Disclosure
In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides for a method [Method 1] of treating a condition, disease or disorder mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids, the method comprising administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of a PDE1 inhibitor (i.e., a compound according to any of Formulas I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, and/or VI) and a pharmaceutically effective amount of a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor to a subject in need thereof. For example, the present disclosure provides for the following embodiments of Method 1:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
1.23 Any of the preceding methods, wherein the PDE1 inhibitor is a compound according to:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
The disclosure further provides a PDE1 inhibitor and a sEH inhibitor for use in a method of treating a condition, disease or disorder mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids, e.g., for use in any of Methods 1, et seq.
The disclosure further provides the use of a combination therapy comprising or consisting of a PDE1 inhibitor and a sEH inhibitor in the manufacture of a medicament for use in a method of treating a condition, disease or disorder mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids, e.g., a medicament for use in any of Methods 1, et seq.
The invention further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a PDE1 inhibitor, e.g., any of a Compound of Formulas I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, and/or VI, and a pharmaceutically effective amount of a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor for use in any of Methods 1, et seq.
Combination Therapies with PDE1 Inhibitors
In some embodiments, the PDE1 inhibitor is administered in combination with other therapeutic modalities. For example, a patient may be administered a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor in combination with any of the disclosed PDE1 inhibitors.
Combinations may be achieved by administering a single composition or pharmacological formulation that includes the PDE1 inhibitor and one or more additional therapeutic agents, or by administration of two distinct compositions or formulations, separately, simultaneously or sequentially, wherein one composition includes the PDE1 inhibitor and the other includes the additional therapeutic agent or agents. The therapy using a PDE1 inhibitor may precede or follow administration of the other agent(s) by intervals ranging from minutes to weeks. In embodiments where the other agent and expression construct are applied separately to the cell, one would generally ensure that a significant period of time did not expire between the time of each delivery, such that the agent and expression construct would still be able to exert an advantageously combined effect on the cell. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that one would typically contact the cell with both modalities within about 12-24 hours of each other and, more preferably, within about 6-12 hours of each other, with a delay time of only about 12 hours being most preferred. In some situations, it may be desirable to extend the time period for treatment significantly, however, where several days (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7) to several weeks (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8) lapse between the respective administrations.
It also is conceivable that more than one administration of either a PDE1 inhibitor, or an additional therapeutic agent will be desired. In this regard, various combinations may be employed. By way of illustration, where the PDE1 inhibitor is “A” and the additional therapeutic agent is “B,” the following permutations based on 3 and 4 total administrations are exemplary:
Accordingly, in various embodiments, the present disclosure also provides for a pharmaceutical combination [Combination 1] therapy comprising a pharmaceutically effective amount of a PDE1 inhibitor (e.g., a compound according to any of Formula I, II, III, IV, V and/or VI) and a pharmaceutically effective amount of a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, for administration in a method of treating a condition, disease or disorder mediated by cyclic nucleotides and/or epoxygenated fatty acids e.g., in accordance with any of Method 1, et seq. For example, the present disclosure provides for the following Combinations:
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
in free or pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.
“PDE1 inhibitor” as used herein describes a compound(s) which selectively inhibit phosphodiesterase-mediated (e.g., PDE1-mediated, especially PDE1B-mediated) hydrolysis of cGMP, e.g., with an IC50 of less than 1 M, preferably less than 750 nM, more preferably less than 500 nM, more preferably less than 50 nM in an immobilized-metal affinity particle reagent PDE assay.
The phrase “Compounds of the Disclosure” or “PDE 1 inhibitors of the Disclosure”, or like terms, encompasses any such compounds disclosed herewith, e.g., a Compound of Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, Formula IV, Formula V, and/or Formula VI.
The words “treatment” and “treating” are to be understood accordingly as embracing prophylaxis and treatment or amelioration of symptoms of disease as well as treatment of the cause of the disease.
For methods of treatment, the word “effective amount” is intended to encompass a therapeutically effective amount to treat a specific disease or disorder.
The terms “patient” or “subject” includes human or non-human (i.e., animal) patient. In particular embodiment, the disclosure encompasses both human and nonhuman. In another embodiment, the disclosure encompasses nonhuman. In other embodiment, the term encompasses human.
The term “comprising” as used in this disclosure is intended to be open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
“Soluble epoxide hydrolase” (“sEH”) is an epoxide hydrolase which in endothelial and smooth muscle cells converts EETs to dihydroxy derivatives called dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (“DHETs”). Unless otherwise specified, as used herein, the terms “soluble epoxide hydrolase” and “sEH” refer to human sEH.
Unless otherwise specified, as used herein, the term “sEH inhibitor” (also abbreviated as “sEHI”) refers to an inhibitor of human sEH. Preferably, the inhibitor does not also inhibit the activity of microsomal epoxide hydrolase by more than 25% at concentrations at which the inhibitor inhibits sEH by at least 50%, and more preferably does not inhibit mEH by more than 10% at that concentration. For convenience of reference, unless otherwise required by context, the term “sEH inhibitor” as used herein encompasses prodrugs which are metabolized to active inhibitors of sEH. Further for convenience of reference, and except as otherwise required by context, reference herein to a compound as an inhibitor of sEH includes reference to derivatives of that compound (such as an ester of that compound) that retain activity as an sEH inhibitor.
Dosages employed in practicing the present disclosure will of course vary depending, e.g. on the particular disease or condition to be treated, the particular Compound of the Disclosure used, the mode of administration, and the therapy desired. Compounds of the Disclosure may be administered by any suitable route, including orally, parenterally, transdermally, or by inhalation, but are preferably administered orally. In general, satisfactory results, e.g. for the treatment of diseases as hereinbefore set forth are indicated to be obtained on oral administration at dosages of the order from about 0.01 to 2.0 mg/kg. In larger mammals, for example humans, an indicated daily dosage for oral administration will accordingly be in the range of from about 0.75 to 150 mg, conveniently administered once, or in divided doses 2 to 4 times, daily or in sustained release form. Unit dosage forms for oral administration thus for example may comprise from about 0.2 to 75 or 150 mg, e.g. from about 0.2 or 2.0 to 50, 75 or 100 mg of a Compound of the Disclosure, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent or carrier therefor.
Pharmaceutical compositions comprising Compounds of the Disclosure may be prepared using conventional diluents or excipients and techniques known in the galenic art. Thus, oral dosage forms may include tablets, capsules, solutions, suspensions and the like.
Phosphodiesterase I B (PDEIB) is a calcium/calmodulin dependent phosphodiesterase enzyme that converts cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) to 5′-guanosine monophosphate (5′-GMP). PDEIB can also convert a modified cGMP substrate, such as the fluorescent molecule cGMP-fluorescein, to the corresponding GMP-fluorescein. The generation of GMP-fluorescein from cGMP-fluorescein can be quantitated, using, for example, the IMAP (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, Calif.) immobilized-metal affinity particle reagent.
Briefly, the IMAP reagent binds with high affinity to the free 5′-phosphate that is found in GMP-fluorescein and not in cGMP-fluorescein. The resulting GMP-fluorescein-IMAP complex is large relative to cGMP-fluorescein. Small fluorophores that are bound up in a large, slowly tumbling, complex can be distinguished from unbound fluorophores, because the photons emitted as they fluoresce retain the same polarity as the photons used to excite the fluorescence.
In the phosphodiesterase assay, cGMP-fluorescein, which cannot be bound to IMAP, and therefore retains little fluorescence polarization, is converted to GMP-fluorescein, which, when bound to IMAP, yields a large increase in fluorescence polarization (Amp). Inhibition of phosphodiesterase, therefore, is detected as a decrease in Amp.
Materials: All chemicals are available from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, Mo.) except for IMAP reagents (reaction buffer, binding buffer, FL-GMP and IMAP beads), which are available from Molecular Devices (Sunnyvale, Calif.).
Assay: The following phosphodiesterase enzymes may be used: 3′,5′-cyclic-nucleotide-specific bovine brain phosphodiesterase (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) (predominantly PDEIB) and recombinant full length human PDEl A and PDE1B (r-hPDEl A and r-hPDElB respectively) which may be produced e.g., in HEK or SF9 cells by one skilled in the art. The PDEl enzyme is reconstituted with 50% glycerol to 2.5 U/ml. One unit of enzyme will hydrolyze 1.0 m of 3′,5′-cAMP to 5′-AMP per min at pH 7.5 at 30° C. One part enzyme is added to 1999 parts reaction buffer (30 μM CaCl2, 10 U/ml of calmodulin (Sigma P2277), 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.2, 10 mM MgCl 2, 0.1% BSA, 0.05% NaN3) to yield a final concentration of 1.25 mU/ml. 99 μl of diluted enzyme solution is added into each well in a flat bottom 96-well polystyrene plate to which 1 of test compound dissolved in 100% DMSO is added. The compounds are mixed and pre-incubated with the enzyme for 10 min at room temperature.
The FL-GMP conversion reaction is initiated by combining 4 parts enzyme and inhibitor mix with 1 part substrate solution (0.225 μM) in a 384-well microtiter plate. The reaction is incubated in dark at room temperature for 15 min. The reaction is halted by addition of 60 μL of binding reagent (1:400 dilution of IMAP beads in binding buffer supplemented with 1:1800 dilution of antifoam) to each well of the 384-well plate. The plate is incubated at room temperature for 1 hour to allow IMAP binding to proceed to completion, and then placed in an Envision multimode microplate reader (PerkinElmer, Shelton, Conn.) to measure the fluorescence polarization (Amp).
A decrease in GMP concentration, measured as decreased Amp, is indicative of inhibition of PDE activity. IC50 values are determined by measuring enzyme activity in the presence of 8 to 16 concentrations of compound ranging from 0.0037 nM to 80,000 nM and then plotting drug concentration versus AMP, which allows IC50 values to be estimated using nonlinear regression software (XLFit; IDBS, Cambridge, Mass.).
The Compounds of the Invention are tested in an assay as described or similarly described herein for PDE1 inhibitory activity. For example, Compound 214, is identified as a specific PDE1 inhibitor of formula:
This compound has efficacy at sub-nanomolar levels vs PDE1 (IC50 of 0.058 nM for bovine brain PDE1 in the assay described above) and high selectivity over other PDE families, as depicted on the following table:
The compound is also highly selective versus a panel of 63 receptors, enzymes, and ion channels. These data, and data for other PDE1 inhibitors described herein, are described in Li et al., J. Med. Chem. 2016: 59, 1149-1164, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/949,483, which was filed on Dec. 18, 2019, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2020/066138 | 12/18/2020 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62949483 | Dec 2019 | US |
