Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K5/00—Peptides containing up to four amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K5/04—Peptides containing up to four amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof containing only normal peptide links
  • C07K5/08—Tripeptides
  • C07K5/0802—Tripeptides with the first amino acid being neutral
  • C07K5/0804—Tripeptides with the first amino acid being neutral and aliphatic
  • C07K5/0808—Tripeptides with the first amino acid being neutral and aliphatic the side chain containing 2 to 4 carbon atoms, e.g. Val, Ile, Leu
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P1/00—Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
  • A61P1/04—Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system for ulcers, gastritis or reflux esophagitis, e.g. antacids, inhibitors of acid secretion, mucosal protectants
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P1/00—Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
  • A61P1/14—Prodigestives, e.g. acids, enzymes, appetite stimulants, antidyspeptics, tonics, antiflatulents
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P1/00—Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
  • A61P1/16—Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system for liver or gallbladder disorders, e.g. hepatoprotective agents, cholagogues, litholytics
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P29/00—Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P3/00—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P3/00—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism
  • A61P3/04—Anorexiants; Antiobesity agents
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P3/00—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism
  • A61P3/08—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism for glucose homeostasis
  • A61P3/10—Drugs for disorders of the metabolism for glucose homeostasis for hyperglycaemia, e.g. antidiabetics
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P5/00—Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P5/00—Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system
  • A61P5/06—Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system of the anterior pituitary hormones, e.g. TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, PRL, GH
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P5/00—Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system
  • A61P5/06—Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system of the anterior pituitary hormones, e.g. TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, PRL, GH
  • A61P5/08—Drugs for disorders of the endocrine system of the anterior pituitary hormones, e.g. TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, PRL, GH for decreasing, blocking or antagonising the activity of the anterior pituitary hormones
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P9/00—Drugs for disorders of the cardiovascular system
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K5/00—Peptides containing up to four amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K5/04—Peptides containing up to four amino acids in a fully defined sequence; Derivatives thereof containing only normal peptide links
  • C07K5/08—Tripeptides
  • C07K5/0802—Tripeptides with the first amino acid being neutral
  • C07K5/0812—Tripeptides with the first amino acid being neutral and aromatic or cycloaliphatic

Definitions

• GHS were projected to have utility in a variety of other disorders, including the treatment of wasting conditions (cachexia) as seen in HIV patients and cancer-induced anorexia, musculoskeletal frailty in the elderly, and growth hormone deficient diseases.
• the ghrelin peptide has been found to have multiple other physiological functions apart from the stimulation of GH release, including regulation of food intake and appetite, promotion of weight gain, control of energy balance, and modulation of gastrointestinal (GI) motility and gastric acid secretion.
• the hormone has also been linked to control of glucose homeostasis, circadian rhythm and memory.
• WO 2006/020930 and WO 2006/023608 describe structurally distinct ghrelin agonists (growth hormone secretagogues) for use in such GI disorders.
• Ml. Pat. Appl. WO 2004/09124 and WO 2005/68639 describe modified virus particles derived from short peptide sequences from the N-terminus of ghrelin that can be used as vaccines for treatment of obesity. Another vaccine approach for obesity is decribed in WO 2004/024183.
• WO 01/56592 and US 2001/020012 describe the use of antagonists for the regulation of food intake.
• WO 2004/004772 describes the use of GHS-R antagonists as a treatment for diabetes, obesity and appetite control. Their use for treatment of intestinal inflammation has also been described (WO 2004/084943).
• no specific examples of compounds, apart from ghrelin peptide and its analogues, for this purpose are presented in these applications.
• More recently, oxadiazole ghrelin antagonists have been reported which are also claimed to be effective in improving cognition, memory and other CNS disorders (WO 2005/112903).
• Ghrelin antagonists and inverse agonists have also been considered for playing a role in the reduction of the incidence of the following obesity-associated conditions including diabetes, complications due to diabetes such as retinopathy, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis and certain forms of cancer.
• diabetes complications due to diabetes such as retinopathy, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis and certain forms of cancer.
• transgenic rats engineered without the GHS- RIa receptor have exhibited reduced food intake, diminished fat deposition, and decreased weight.
• the hormone's involvement in a number of physiological processes, including regulation of cardiovascular function and stress responses as well as growth hormone release may indicate potential drawbacks to this strategy.
• complete lack of ghrelin may not be desirable, but suppression may be sufficient to control obesity.
• Hyperphagia and altered fuel metabolism result from uncontrolled diabetes mellitus in humans. This has been suggested to occur through a combination of elevated ghrelin levels and decreased leptin through the NPY/AGRP pathway. Although levels of ghrelin are essentially the same in healthy and diabetic subjects, the different levels of ghrelin in diabetic hyperphagia could make it difficult to remain on diet therapies and an antagonist could be useful in assisting control. (Ishii, S.; Kamegai, J.; Tamura, H.; Shimizu, T.; Sugihara, H.; Oikawa, S. Role of ghrelin in streptozotocin-induced diabetic hyperphagia.
• Ghrelin in chronic liver disease J. Hepatology 2003, 38, 447- 454.
• Ghrelin antagonists could be useful in controlling these liver diseases.
• ghrelin and its receptor are overexpressed in numerous cancers. Antagonists would have potential application to treatment of cancer.
• Intl. Pat. Appl. Publ. WO 02/90387 has described the use of interventionist strategies targeting GHS-RIa as an approach to treatment of cancers of the reproductive system.
• ghrelin antagonists are primarily peptidic in nature (WO 2004/09616, WO 02/08250, WO 03/04518, US 2002/0187938, Pinilla, L.; Barreiro, MX.; Tena-Sempere, M.; Aguilar E. Neuroendocrinology 2003, 77, 83-90) although antagonists based on nucleic acids have also been disclosed (WO 2004/013274; WO 2005/49828; Helmling, S.; Maasch, C; Eulberg, D.; et al. Inhibition of ghrelin action in vitro and in vivo by an RNA-Spiegelmer. Proc. Natl. Acad.
• EP-01492 cortistatin 8
• cortistatin 8 has been advanced into preclinical studies for the treatment of obesity as a ghrelin antagonist.
• Deghenghi R Broglio F, Papotti M, et al. Targeting the ghrelin receptor - Orally active GHS and cortistatin analogs. Endocrine 2003, 22, 13-18; Sibilia, V.; Muccioli, G.; Deghenghi, R.; Pagani, F.; DeLuca, V.; Rapetti, D.; Locatelli, V.; Netti, C. Evidence for a role of the GHS-RIa receptor in ghrelin inhbition of gastric acid secretion in the rat. J. Neuroendocrinal. 2006, 18, 122-128.)
• the present invention provides novel conformationally-defined macrocyclic compounds that can function as modulators, in particular antagonists or inverse agonists, of the ghrelin (growth hormone secretagogue) receptor (GHS-RIa). According to aspects of the present invention, the present invention relates to compounds according to formula (I):
• X is NR 13 , wherein R 13 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or R 13 and R 2 together form a 3-, A-, 5-, 6- or 7-membered heterocyclic ring, wherein the ring optionally comprises an O, S or additional N atom in the ring and is optionally substituted with R 8 as defined below;
• Z 1 is NR 11 , wherein R11 is hydrogen, C 1-4 alkyl or R 11 and R 3 together form a A-, 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-membered heterocyclic ring, wherein the ring optionally comprises an O, S or additional N atom in the ring and is optionally substituted with R 8 as defined below;
• Z 2 . is NH; m, n and p are each 0;
• R 1 and R 6 are each independently hydrogen
• R 2 is -(CH 2 ) S CH 3 , -CH(CH 3 )(CH 2 ) t CH 3 , -(CH 2 ) U CH(CH 3 ) 2 , -C(CH 3 ) 3 , -(CH 2 ) V -R 14 ,
• R 14 is aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or substituted cycloalkyl;
• R 15 is hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, acyl, amino acyl, sulfo ⁇ yl, cafboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, arnido, aryl, substituted aryl, heferoaFyl or substituted heteroaryl; or, alternatively, R 2 and R 13 together form a 3-, A-, 5-, 6- or 7-membered heterocyclic ring, wherein the ring optionally comprises an O, S or
• R 16 is hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, acyl, amino acyl, sulfonyl, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, amido, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl and substituted heteroaryl; and
• R 18a and R 18b are each independently aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, cycloalkyl and substituted cycloalkyl;
• R 110 and R 111 are each independently hydrogen C 1 -C 4 alkyl, hydroxyl, amino or fluoro, with the proviso that at least one of R 1 ⁇ 0 and R 1 ⁇ is not hydrogen;
• R 8 is substituted for one or more hydrogen atoms on the 3-, 4-, 5-, 6- or 7-membered ring structure and is independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, oxo, amino, halogen, formyl, acyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, amido, carbamoyl, guanidino, ureido, amidino, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl and sulfonamide, or, alternatively, R 8 is a fused cycloalkyl, a substituted fused cycloalkyl, a fused heterocyclic, a substituted fused heterocyclic group, a fused aryl,
• R 24 and R2 5 are each independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, R AA , wherein R AA is a side chain of a standard or unusual amino acid, or R 24 and R 25 together form a 3- to 12-membered cyclic ring optionally comprising one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, S and N; or one OfR 24 or R 25 is hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, mercapto, carbamoyl, amidino, ureido or guanidino while the other is hydrogen, lower alkyl or substituted lower alkyl, except when the carbon to which R 24 and R25 are bonded is also bonded to another heteroatom;
• R 26 is optionally present and, when present, is substituted for one or more hydrogen atoms on the indicated ring and each is independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, formyl, acyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, amido, carbamoyl, guanidino, ureido, amidino, cyano, nitro, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl and sulfonamido;
• R 27 is optionally present and, when present, is substituted for one or more hydrogen atoms on the indicated ring and each is independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, oxo, amino, formyl, acyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, amido, carbamoyl, guanidino, ureido, amidino, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl and sulfonamido;
• R 28 , R 29 , R 30 , R 32 , R 33 , R 34 , R36 and R 37 are each optionally present and when no double bond is present to the carbon atom to which it is bonded in the ring, two groups are optionally present, and, when present, is substituted for one hydrogen present in the ring, or when no double bond is present to the carbon atom to which it is bonded in the ring, is substituted for one or both of the two hydrogen atoms present on the ring and each is independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, oxo, amino, formyl, acyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, amido, carbamoyl, guanidino, ureido, amidin
• R 31 , R 35 and R 38 are each optionally present and, when present, are substituted for one or more hydrogen atoms on the indicated ring and each is independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, substituted heterocyclic, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, formyl, acyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, amido, carbamoyl, guanidino, ureido, amidino, cyano, nitro, mercapto, sulflnyl, sulfonyl and sulfonamido; and
• R 40 and R 41 are each independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, R AA as defined above, or R 40 and R 41 together form a 3- to 12-membered cyclic ring optionally comprising one or more heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, S and N wherein the ring is optionally substituted with R 8 as defined previously, or one OfR 4O and R 41 is hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, mercapto, carbamoyl, amidino, ureido or guanidino, while the other is hydrogen, lower alkyl or substituted lower alkyl, except when the carbon to which R 4O and R 41 are bonded is also bonded to another heteroatom; with the proviso that T is not an amino acid residue, dipeptide fragment, tripeptide fragment or higher order peptide fragment comprising standard amino acids.
• compositions comprising: (a) a compound of the present invention; and (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient or diluent.
• kits comprising one or more containers containing pharmaceutical dosage units comprising an effective amount of one or more compounds of the present invention packaged with optional instructions for the use thereof.
• the present invention provides methods of modulating GHS-RIa receptor activity in a mammal comprising administering an effective GHS-RIa receptor activity modulating amount of a compound of the present invention.
• the effective GHS-RIa receptor activity modulating amount of the compound does not result in a significant amount of growth hormone release.
• the compound is a ghrelin receptor antagonist or a GHS-RIa receptor antagonist.
• the compound is a ghrelin receptor inverse agonist or a GHS-RIa receptor inverse agonist.
• the compound is both a ghrelin receptor antagonist and a ghrelin receptor inverse agonist or a
• GHS-RIa receptor antagonist and a GHS-RIa receptor inverse agonist.
• aspects of the present invention further relate to methods of preventing and/or treating disorders such as metabolic and/or endocrine disorders, cardiovascular disorders, genetic disorders, hyperproliferative disorders and inflammatory disorders.
• the present invention also relates to compounds of formula I useful for the preparation of a medicament for prevention and/or treatment of the disorders described herein.
• Figure 2 shows a chemical synthesis scheme for an exemplary compound of the present invention.
• Figure 3 shows a chemical synthesis scheme for another exemplary compound of the present invention.
• C 2 -C 4 alkyl indicates an alkyl group that contains 2, 3 or 4 carbon atoms.
• cycloalkyl refers to saturated or partially unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon groups having from 3 to 15 carbon atoms in the ring, and in some instances, 3 to 7, and to alkyl groups containing said cyclic hydrocarbon groups.
• Examples of cycloalkyl groups include, but are not limited to, cyclopropyl, cyclopropylmethyl, cyclopentyl,
• Cycloalkyl as defined herein also includes groups with multiple carbon rings, each of which may be saturated or partially unsaturated, for example decalinyl, [2.2.1]-bicycloheptanyl or adamantanyl. All such cycloalkyl groups may also be optionally substituted as described below.
• aromatic refers to an unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon group having a conjugated pi electron system that contains 4n+2 electrons where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1.
• Aromatic molecules are typically stable and are depicted as a planar ring of atoms with resonance structures that consist of alternating double and single bonds, for example benzene or naphthalene.
• aryl refers to an aromatic group in a single or fused carbocyclic ring system having from 6 to 15 ring atoms, and in some instances, 6 to 10, and to alkyl groups containing said aromatic groups.
• aryl groups include, but are not limited to, phenyl, 1-naphthyl, 2-naphthyl and benzyl.
• Aryl as defined herein also includes groups with multiple aryl rings which may be fused, as in naphthyl and anthracenyl, or unfused, as in biphenyl and terphenyl.
• Aryl also refers to bicyclic or tricyclic carbon rings, where one of the rings is aromatic and the others of which may be saturated, partially unsaturated or aromatic, for example, indanyl or tetrahydronaphthyl (tetralinyl). All such aryl groups may also be optionally substituted as described below.
• heterocycle refers to saturated or partially unsaturated monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic groups having from 3 to 15 atoms, and in some instances, 3 to 7, with at least one heteroatom in at least one of the rings, said heteroatom being selected from O, S or N.
• Each ring of the heterocyclic group can contain one or two O atoms, one or two S atoms, one to four N atoms, provided that the total number of heteroatoms in each ring is four or less and each ring contains at least one carbon atom.
• the fused rings completing the bicyclic or tricyclic heterocyclic groups may contain only carbon atoms and may be saturated or partially unsaturated.
• heterocyclic also refers to alkyl groups containing said monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic heterocyclic groups. Examples of heterocyclic rings include, but are not limited to, 2- or 3-piperidinyl, 2- or 3-piperazinyl, 2- or 3-morpholinyl. AU such heterocyclic groups may also be optionally substituted as described below
• heteroaryl refers to an aromatic group in a single or fused ring system having from 5 to 15 ring atoms, and in some instances, 5 to 10, which have at least one heteroatom in at least one of the rings, said heteroatom being selected from O, S or N.
• Each ring of the heteroaryl group can contain one or two O atoms, one or two S atoms, one to four N atoms, provided that the total number of heteroatoms in each ring is four or less and each ring contains at least one carbon atom.
• the fused rings completing the bicyclic or tricyclic groups may contain only carbon atoms and may be saturated, partially unsaturated or aromatic.
• the N atoms may optionally be quaternized or oxidized to the N-oxide.
• Heteroaryl also refers to alkyl groups containing said cyclic groups.
• Examples of monocyclic heteroaryl groups include, but are not limited to pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrazolinyl, imidazolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl, thiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, isothiazolyl, furanyl, thienyl, oxadiazolyl, pyridyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, and triazinyl.
• bicyclic heteroaryl groups include, but are not limited to indolyl, benzothiazolyl, benzoxazolyl, benzothienyl, quinolinyl, tetrahydroisoquinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, benzimidazolyl, benzopyranyl, indolizinyl, benzofuranyl, isobenzofuranyl, chromonyl, coumarinyl, benzopyranyl, cinnolinyl, quinoxalinyl, indazolyl, purinyl, pyrrolopyridinyl, furopyridinyl, thienopyridinyl, dihydroisoindolyl, and tetrahydroquinolinyl.
• tricyclic heteroaryl groups include, but are not limited to carbazolyl, benzindolyl, phenanthrollinyl, acridinyl, phenanthridinyl, and xanthenyl. All such heteroaryl groups may also be optionally substituted as described below.
• the term "hydroxy" refers to the group -OH.
• alkoxy refers to the group -OR 3 , wherein R a is alkyl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclic. Examples include, but are not limited to methoxy, ethoxy, tert-butoxy, cyclohexyloxy and tetrahydropyranyloxy.
• aryloxy refers to the group -OR b wherein R b is aryl or heteroaryl. Examples include, but are not limited to phenoxy, benzyloxy and 2-naphthyloxy.
• amino acyl indicates an acyl group that is derived from an amino acid.
• amino refers to an -NR d R e group wherein R d and R e are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl and heteroaryl.
• R d and R e together form a heterocyclic ring of 3 to 8 members, optionally substituted with unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted heterocyclic, unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, amino, amido, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonamide, amidino, carbamoyl, guanidino or ureido, and optionally containing one to three additional heteroatoms selected from O, S or N.
• R f and R g together form a heterocyclic ring of 3 to 8 members,- optionally substituted with unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted heterocyclic, unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, amino, amido, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonamide, amidino, carbamoyl, guanidino or ureido, and optionally containing one to three additional heteroatoms selected from O, S or N.
• Rj and Rj together form a heterocyclic ring of 3 to 8 members, optionally substituted with unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted heterocyclic, unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, amino, amido, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, amidino, carbamoyl, guanidino or ureido, and optionally containing one to three additional heteroatoms selected from O, S or N.
• carboxyaryl refers to the group -CO 2 R m , wherein R m is aryl or heteroaryl.
• cyano refers to the group -CN.
• halo refers to fluoro, fluorine or fluoride, chloro, chlorine or chloride, bromo, bromine or bromide, and iodo, iodine or iodide, respectively.
• mercapto refers to the group -SR n wherein R n is hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl or heteroaryl.
• nitro refers to the group -NO 2 .
• trifluoromethyl refers to the group -CF 3 .
• R r and R 5 together form a heterocyclic ring of 3 to 8 members, optionally substituted with unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted heterocyclic, unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, amino, amido, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, amidino, carbamoyl, guanidino or ureido, and optionally containing one to three additional heteroatoms selected from O, S or N.
• R x and R y together form a heterocyclic ring or 3 to 8 members, optionally substituted with unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted heterocyclic, unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, amino, amido, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, amidino, carbamoyl, guanidino or ureido, and optionally containing one to three additional heteroatoms selected from O, S or N.
• R aa and R bb together with the nitrogen atom to which they are each bonded form a heterocyclic ring of 3 to 8 members, optionally substituted with unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted heterocyclic, unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyl, amino, amido, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, carboxyaryl, mercapto, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, amidino, carbamoyl, guanidino or ureido, and optionally containing one to three additional heteroatoms selected from O, S or N.
• optionally substituted is intended to expressly indicate that the specified group is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more suitable substituents, unless the optional substituents are expressly specified, in which case the term indicates that the group is unsubstituted or substituted with the specified substituents.
• various groups may be unsubstituted or substituted (i.e., they are optionally substituted) unless indicated otherwise herein (e.g., by indicating that the specified group is unsubstituted).
• R kk and R nn are independently selected from unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted heterocyclic, unsubstituted aryl or unsubstituted heteroaryl.
• substituted for aryl and heteroaryl groups includes as an option having one of the hydrogen atoms of
• substitution is made provided that any atom's normal valency is not exceeded and that the substitution results in a stable compound.
• such substituted group may not be further substituted or, if substituted, the substituent comprises only a limited number of substituted groups, for example 1, 2, 3 or 4 such substituents.
• amino acid refers to the common natural (genetically encoded) or synthetic amino acids and common derivatives thereof, known to those skilled in the art.
• standard or “proteinogenic” refers to the genetically encoded 20 amino acids in their natural configuration.
• unnatural or “unusual” refers to the wide selection of non-natural, rare or synthetic amino acids such as those described by Hunt, S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Amino Acids, Barrett, G.C., Ed., Chapman and Hall: New York, 1985.
• fragment with respect to a dipeptide, tripeptide or higher order peptide derivative indicates a group that contains two, three or more, respectively, amino acid residues.
• amino acid side chain refers to any side chain from a standard or unnatural amino acid, and is denoted RAA-
• RAA- amino acid side chain
• the side chain of alanine is methyl
• the side chain of valine is isopropyl
• the side chain of tryptophan is 3-indolylmethyl.
• agonist refers to a compound that duplicates at least some of the effect of the endogenous ligand of a protein, receptor, enzyme or the like.
• antagonist refers to a compound that inhibits at least some of the effect of the endogenous ligand of a protein, receptor, enzyme or the like.
• inverse agonist refers to a compound that decreases, at least to some degree, the baseline functional activity of a protein, receptor, enzyme or the like, such as the constitutive signaling activity of a G protein-coupled receptor or variant thereof.
• An inverse agonist can also be an antagonist.
• baseline functional activity refers to the activity of a protein, receptor, enzyme or the like, including constitutive signaling activity, in the absence of the endogenous ligand.
• growth hormone secretagogue refers to any exogenously administered compound or agent that directly or indirectly stimulates or increases the endogenous release of growth hormone, growth hormone-releasing hormone, or somatostatin in an animal, in particular, a human.
• a GHS may be peptidic or non-peptidic in nature, with an agent that can be administered orally preferred.
• an agent that induces a pulsatile response is preferred.
• modulator refers to a compound that imparts an effect on a biological or chemical process or mechanism.
• a modulator may increase, facilitate, upregulate, activate, inhibit, decrease, block, prevent, delay, desensitize, deactivate, down regulate, or the like, a biological or chemical process or mechanism.
• a modulator can be an "agonist,” an "antagonist,” Or an “inverse agonist.”
• Exemplary biological processes or mechanisms affected by a modulator include, but are not limited to, receptor binding and hormone release or secretion.
• Exemplary chemical processes or mechanisms affected by a modulator include, but are not limited to, catalysis and hydrolysis.
• variant when applied to a receptor is meant to include dimers, timers, tetramers, pentamers and other biological complexes containing multiple components. These components can be the same or different.
• peptide refers to a chemical compound comprised of two or more amino acids covalently bonded together.
• peptidomimetic refers to a chemical compound designed to mimic a peptide, but which contains structural differences through the addition or replacement of one of more functional groups of the peptide in order to modulate its activity or other properties, such as solubility, metabolic stability, oral bioavailability, lipophilicity, permeability, etc. This can include replacement of the peptide bond, side chain modifications, truncations, additions of Junctional groups, etc.
• non-peptide peptidomimetic When the chemical structure is not derived from the peptide, but mimics its activity, it is often referred to as a "non-peptide peptidomimetic.”
• protecting group refers to any chemical compound that may be used to prevent a potentially reactive functional group, such as an amine, a hydroxyl or a carboxyl, on a molecule from undergoing a chemical reaction while chemical change occurs elsewhere in the molecule.
• a potentially reactive functional group such as an amine, a hydroxyl or a carboxyl
• a number of such protecting groups are known to those skilled in the art and examples can be found in "Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis," Theodora W. Greene and Peter G. Wuts, editors, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 3 rd edition, 1999 [ISBN 0471160199].
• amino protecting groups include, but are not limited to, phthalimido, trichloroacetyl, benzyloxycarbonyl, tert-butoxycarb ⁇ nyl, and adamantyloxy- carbonyl.
• Preferred amino protecting groups are carbamate amino protecting groups, which are defined as an amino protecting group that when bound to an amino group forms a carbamate.
• Preferred amino carbamate protecting groups are allyloxycarbonyl (Alloc), benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz), 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc), tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) and ⁇ , ⁇ -dimemyl-3,5-dimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl (Ddz).
• Alloc allyloxycarbonyl
• Cbz benzyloxycarbonyl
• Fmoc 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl
• Boc tert-butoxycarbonyl
• Ddz ⁇ , ⁇ -dimemyl-3,5-dimethoxybenzyloxycarbonyl
• hydroxyl protecting groups include, but are not limited to, acetyl, tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS), trityl (Trt), tert-butyl, and tetrahydropyranyl (THP).
• carboxyl protecting groups include, but are not limited to methyl ester, tert-butyl ester, benzyl ester, trimethylsilylethyl ester, and 2,2,2-trichloroethyl ester.
• solid phase chemistry refers to the conduct of chemical reactions where one component of the reaction is covalently bonded to a polymeric material (solid support as defined below). Reaction methods for performing chemistry on solid phase have become more widely known and established outside the traditional fields of peptide and oligonucleotide chemistry.
• solid support solid phase or “resin” refers to a mechanically and chemically stable polymeric matrix utilized to conduct solid phase chemistry. This is denoted
• polystyrene examples include, but are not limited to, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol grafted or covalently bonded to polystyrene (also termed PEG-polystyrene, TentaGelTM, Rapp, W.; Zhang, L.; Bayer, E. Ih Innovations and Persepctives in Solid Phase Synthesis.
• polystyrene polyethylene
• polyethylene glycol polyethylene glycol
• polyethylene glycol grafted or covalently bonded to polystyrene also termed PEG-polystyrene, TentaGelTM, Rapp, W.; Zhang, L.; Bayer, E. Ih Innovations and Persepctives in Solid Phase Synthesis.
• These materials can optionally contain additional chemical agents to form cross-linked bonds to mechanically stabilize the structure, for example polystyrene cross-linked with divinylbenezene (DVB, usually 0.1-5%, or 0.5-2%).
• DVD divinylbenezene
• This solid support can include as non-limiting examples aminomethyl polystyrene, hydroxymethyl polystyrene, benzhydrylamine polystyrene (BHA), methylbenzhydrylamine (MBHA) polystyrene, and other polymeric backbones containing free chemical functional groups, most typically, -NH 2 or -OH, for further derivatization or reaction.
• BHA benzhydrylamine polystyrene
• MBHA methylbenzhydrylamine
• resins are typically discarded, although they have been shown to be able to be reused such as in Frechet, J.M.J.; Haque, K.E. Tetrahedron Lett. 1975, 16, 3055.
• the materials used as resins are insoluble polymers, but certain polymers have differential solubility depending on solvent and can also be employed for solid phase chemistry.
• polyethylene glycol can be utilized in this manner since it is soluble in many organic solvents in which chemical reactions can be conducted, but it is insoluble in others, such as diethyl ether.
• reactions can be conducted homogeneously in solution, then the product on the polymer precipitated through the addition of diethyl ether and processed as a solid. This has been termed "liquid-phase" chemistry.
• linker when used in reference to solid phase chemistry refers to a chemical group that is bonded covalently to a solid support and is attached between the support and the substrate typically in order to permit the release (cleavage) of the substrate from the solid support. However, it can also be used to impart stability to the bond to the solid support or merely as a spacer element. Many solid supports are available commercially with linkers already attached. Abbreviations used for amino acids and designation of peptides follow the rules of the
• an effective amount or “effective” is intended to designate a dose that causes a relief of symptoms of a disease or disorder as noted through clinical testing and evaluation, patient observation, and the like, and/or a dose that causes a detectable change in biological or chemical activity as detected by one skilled in the art for the relevant mechanism or process.
• the dosage will vary depending on the administration routes, symptoms and body weight of the patient but also depending upon the compound being administered.
• Administration of two or more compounds "in combination” means that the two compounds are administered closely enough in time that the presence of one alters the biological effects of the other.
• the two compounds can be administered simultaneously (concurrently) or sequentially. Simultaneous administration can be carried out by mixing the compounds prior to administration, or by administering the compounds at the same point in time but at different anatomic sites or using different routes of administration.
• the phrases "concurrent administration”, “administration in combination”, “simultaneous administration” or “administered simultaneously” as used herein, means that the compounds are administered at the same point in time or immediately following one another, hi the latter case, the two compounds are administered at times sufficiently close that the results observed are indistinguishable from those achieved when the compounds are administered at the same point in time.
• pharmaceutically active metabolite is intended to mean a pharmacologically active product produced through metabolism in the body of a specified compound.
• solvate is intended to mean a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate form of a specified compound that retains the biological effectiveness of such compound.
• examples of solvates include compounds of the invention in combination with water, isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, DMSO, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, or ethanolamine.
• Novel macrocyclic compounds of the present invention include those of formula I:
• R 3 is H;
• R 4 is -CR 43a R 43b (OR 44 ) where R 43a and R 43b are each independently hydrogen, lower alkyl or substituted lower alkyl and R 44 is hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, or acyl; and
• R 7 is hydrogen or lower alkyl.
• the compound can have any of the following structures:
• the present invention includes isolated compounds.
• An isolated compound refers to a compound that, in some embodiments, comprises at least 10%, at least 25%, at least 50% or at least 70% of the compounds of a mixture.
• the compound, pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or pharmaceutical composition containing the compound exhibits a statistically significant binding and/or antagonist activity when tested in biological assays at the human ghrelin receptor.
• the compounds of formula I herein disclosed have asymmetric centers.
• the inventive compounds may exist as single stereoisomers, racemates, and/or mixtures of enantiomers and/or diastereomers. All such single stereoisomers, racemates, and mixtures thereof are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. However, the inventive compounds are used in optically pure form.
• the terms "S” and "R” configuration as used herein are as defined by the IUPAC 1974 Recommendations for Section E, Fundamentals of Stereochemistry (PureAppl. Chem. 1976, 45, 13-30.).
• the compounds may be prepared as a single stereoisomer or a mixture of stereoisomers.
• the non-racemic forms may be obtained by either synthesis or resolution.
• the compounds may, for example, be resolved into the component enantiomers by standard techniques, for example formation of diastereomeric pairs via salt formation.
• the compounds also may be resolved by covalently bonding to a chiral moiety.
• the diastereomers can then be resolved by chromatographic separation and/or crystallographic separation. In the case of a chiral auxiliary moiety, it can then be removed.
• the compounds can be resolved through the use of chiral chromatography. Enzymatic methods of resolution could also be used in certain cases.
• an “optically pure” compound is one that contains only a single enantiomer.
• the term “optically active” is intended to mean a compound comprising at least a sufficient excess of one enantiomer over the other such that the mixture rotates plane polarized light. The enantiomeric excess (e.e.) indicates the excess of one enantiomer over the other.
• Optically active compounds have the ability to rotate the plane of polarized light.
• D and L or R and S are used to denote the absolute configuration of the molecule about its chiral center(s).
• the prefixes "d” and “1" or (+) and (-) are used to denote the optical rotation of the compound (i.e., the direction in which a plane of polarized light is rotated by the optically active compound).
• the "1" or (-) prefix indicates that the compound is levorotatory (i.e., rotates the plane of polarized light to the left or counterclockwise) while the "d” or (+) prefix means that the compound is dextrarotatory (i.e., rotates the plane of polarized light to the right or clockwise).
• the sign of optical rotation, (-) and (+) is not related to the absolute configuration of the molecule, R and S.
• a compound of the invention having the desired pharmacological properties will be optically active and is comprised of at least 90% (80% e.e.), at least 95% (90% e.e.), at least 97.5% (95% e.e.) or at least 99% (98% e.e.) of a single isomer.
• Embodiments of the present invention further provide intermediate compounds formed through the synthetic methods described herein to provide the compounds of formula I.
• the intermediate may possess utiltity as a therapeutic agent and/or reagent for further synthesis methods and reactions.
• the compounds of formula I can be synthesized using traditional solution synthesis techniques or solid phase chemistry methods. In either, the construction involves four phases: first, synthesis of the building blocks comprising recognition elements for the biological target receptor, plus one tether moiety, primarily for control and definition of conformation. These building blocks are assembled together, typically in a sequential fashion, in a second phase employing standard chemical transformations. The precursors from the assembly are then cyclized in the third stage to provide the macrocyclic structures. Finally, the post-cyclization processing fourth stage involving removal of protecting groups and optional purification provides the desired final compounds. Synthetic methods for this general type of macrocyclic structure are described in Intl. Pat. Appls. WO 01/25257, WO 2004/111077, WO 2005/012331, WO 2005/012332, WO 2006/009645 and WO 2006/009674 including purification procedures described in WO 2004/111077 and WO 2005/012331.
• the macrocyclic compounds of formula I may be synthesized using solid phase chemistry on a soluble or insoluble polymer matrix as previously defined.
• solid phase chemistry a preliminary stage involving the attachment of the first building block, also termed "loading," to the resin must be performed.
• the resin utilized for the present invention preferentially has attached to it a linker moiety, L.
• linkers are attached to an appropriate free chemical functionality, usually an alcohol or amine, although others are also possible, on the base resin through standard reaction methods known in the art, such as any of the large number of reaction conditions developed for the formation of ester or amide bonds.
• linker moieties for the present invention are designed to allow for simultaneous cleavage from the resin with formation of the macrocycle in a process generally termed "cyclization-release.”
• the thioester strategy proceeds through a modified route where the tether component is actually assembled during the cyclization step.
• assembly of the building blocks proceeds sequentially, followed by cyclization (and release from the resin if solid phase).
• An additional post-cyclization processing step is required to remove particular byproducts of the RCM reaction, but the remaining subsequent processing is done in the same manner as for the thioester or analogous base-mediated cyclization strategy.
• steps including the methods provided herein may be performed independently or at least two steps may be combined. Additionally, steps including the methods provided herein, when performed independently or combined, may be performed at the same temperature or at different temperatures without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
• the present invention provides methods of manufacturing the compounds of the present invention comprising (a) assembling building block structures, (b) chemically transforming the building block structures, (c) cyclizing the building block structures including a tether component, (d) removing protecting groups from the building block structures, and (e) optionally purifiying the product obtained from step (d).
• assembly of the building block structures may be - sequential, hi further embodiments, the synthesis methods are carried out using traditional solution synthesis techniques or solid phase chemistry techniques.
• Amino acids, Boc- and Fmoc-protected amino acids and side chain protected derivatives, including those of N-methyl and unnatural amino acids, were obtained from commercial suppliers [for example Advanced ChemTech (Louisville, KY, USA), Astatech (Princeton, NJ, USA), Bachem (Bubendorf, Switzerland), Chemrmpex (Wood Dale, IL,
• Ddz-amino acids were either obtained commercially from Orpegen (Heidelberg, Germany) or Advanced ChemTech (Louisville, KY, USA) or synthesized using standard methods utilizing Ddz-OPh or Ddz-N 3 . (Birr, C; Lochinger, W.; Stahnke, G.; Lang, P.
• N-Alkyl amino acids in particular, N-methyl amino acids are commercially available from multiple vendors (Bachem, Novabiochem, Advanced ChemTech, Chemhnpex).
• N-alkyl amino acid derivatives were accessed via literature methods. (Hansen, D. W., Jr.; Pilipauskas, D. J. Org. Chem. 1985, 50, 945-950.) allo- Threonine and ⁇ -hydroxyvaline can be synthesized by known procedures (Shao, H.; Goodman, M. An Enantiomeric Synthesis of allo-Threonines and /3-Hydroxyvalines.
• Tethers were obtained from the methods previously described in Intl. Pat. Appl. WO 01/25257, WO 2004/111077, WO 2005/012331, WO 2006/009645 and WO 2006/009674.
• Exemplary tethers (T) include, but are not limited to, the following:
• (Z 2 ) is the site of a covalent bond of T to Z 2 , and Z 2 is defined above, and wherein (X) is the site of a covalent bond of T to X, and X is defined above;
• L 7 is -CH 2 - or -O-;
• U 2 is -CR 101 R 1O2 - ;
• R 100 is lower alkyl;
• R 101 and R 102 are each independently hydrogen, lower alkyl or substituted lower alkyl;
• xx is 2 or 3;
• yy is 1 or 2;
• zz is 1 or 2; and
• aaa is 0 or 1.
• the compounds of the present invention were evaluated for their ability to interact at the human ghrelin receptor utilizing a competitive radioligand binding assay, fluorescence assay or Aequorin functional assay as described in the examples below. Such methods can be conducted, if so desired, in a high throughput manner to permit the simultaneous evaluation of many compounds.
• the in vivo efficacy of compounds of the present invention can be illustrated, for example, using animal models of obesity such as those described in the literature (WO 2004/056869; Nakazato, M.; Murakami, N.; Date, Y.; et al. A role for ghrelin in the central regulation of feeding. Nature 2001, 409, 194-198; Murakami, N.; Hayashida, T.; Kuroiwa, T.; et al. Role for central ghrelin in food intake and secretion profile of stomach ghrelin in rats. J. Endocrinol. 2002, 174, 283-288; Asakawa, A.; Inui, A.; Kaga, T.; et al.
• salts examples include alkali metal salts and addition salts of free acids and bases.
• Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts include sulfates, pyrosulfates, bisulfates, sulfites, bisulfites, phosphates, monohydrogenphosphates, dihydrogenphosphates, metaphosphates, pyrophosphates, chlorides, bromides, iodides, acetates, propionates, decanoates, caprylates, acrylates, formates, isobutyrates, caproates, heptanoates, propiolates, oxalates, malonates, succinates, suberates, sebacates, fumarates, maleates, butyne-l,4-dioates, hexyne-l,6-dioates, benzoates, chlorobenzoates, methylbenzoates, dinitrobenzoates, hydroxybenzoates, methoxybenzoates, phthalates, xylenesulfonates, phenylacetates, phenylprop
• a desired salt may be prepared by any suitable method known to those skilled in the art, including treatment of the free base with an inorganic acid, such as, without limitation, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic, carbonic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and the like, or with an organic acid, including, without limitation, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, mandelic acid, fumaric acid, malonic acid, pyruvic acid, oxalic acid, stearic acid, ascorbic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, pyranosidyl acid, such as glucuronic acid or galacturonic acid, alpha-hydroxy acid, such as citric acid or tartaric acid, amino acid, such as aspartic acid or glutamic acid, aromatic acid, such as benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, sulfonic acid, such as p-tol
• an inorganic acid such
• an inventive compound is an acid
• a desired salt may be prepared by any suitable method known to the art, including treatment of the free acid with an inorganic or organic base, such as an amine (primary, secondary, or tertiary); an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal hydroxide; or the like.
• an inorganic or organic base such as an amine (primary, secondary, or tertiary); an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal hydroxide; or the like.
• suitable salts include organic salts derived from amino acids such as glycine, lysine and arginine; ammonia; primary, secondary, and tertiary amines such as ethylenediamine, N,N'-dibenzylethylenediamine, diethanolamine, choline, and procaine, and cyclic amines, such as piperidine, morpholine, and piperazine; as well as inorganic salts derived from sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, aluminum, and lithium.
• compositions for oral administration may be, for example, solid preparations such as tablets, sugar-coated tablets, hard capsules, soft capsules, granules, powders and the like, with suitable carriers and additives being starches, sugars, binders, diluents, granulating agents, lubricants, disintegrating agents and the like. Because of their ease of use and higher patient compliance, tablets and capsules represent the most advantageous oral dosage forms for many medical conditions.
• compositions for liquid preparations include solutions, emulsions, dispersions, suspensions, syrups, elixirs, and the like with suitable carriers and additives being water, alcohols, oils, glycols, preservatives, flavoring agents, coloring agents, suspending agents, and the like.
• suitable carriers and additives being water, alcohols, oils, glycols, preservatives, flavoring agents, coloring agents, suspending agents, and the like.
• Typical preparations for parenteral administration comprise the active ingredient with a carrier such as sterile water or parenterally acceptable oil including polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, lecithin, arachis oil or sesame oil, with other additives for aiding solubility or preservation may also be included.
• a carrier such as sterile water or parenterally acceptable oil including polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, lecithin, arachis oil or sesame oil, with other additives for aiding solubility or preservation may
• compositions according to embodiments of the present invention include those suitable for oral, rectal, topical, inhalation (e.g., via an aerosol) buccal (e.g., sub-lingual), vaginal, topical (i.e., both skin and mucosal surfaces, including airway surfaces), transdermal administration and parenteral (e.g., subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, intraarticular, intrapleural, intraperitoneal, intrathecal, intracerebral, intracranially, intraarterial, or intravenous), although the most suitable route in any given case will depend on the nature and severity of the condition being treated and on the nature of the particular active agent which is being used.
• compositions for injection will include the active ingredient together with suitable carriers including propylene glycol-alcohol-water, isotonic water, sterile water for injection (USP), emulPhorTM-alcohol-water, cremophor-ELTM or other suitable carriers known to those skilled in the art.
• suitable carriers including propylene glycol-alcohol-water, isotonic water, sterile water for injection (USP), emulPhorTM-alcohol-water, cremophor-ELTM or other suitable carriers known to those skilled in the art.
• carriers may be used alone or in combination with other conventional solubilizing agents such as ethanol, propylene glycol, or other agents known to those skilled in the art.
• the compounds of the present invention may be used by dissolving or suspending in any conventional diluent.
• the diluents may include, for example, physiological saline,
• Ringer's solution an aqueous glucose solution, an aqueous dextrose solution, an alcohol, a fatty acid ester, glycerol, a glycol, an oil derived from plant or animal sources, a paraffin and the like.
• aqueous glucose solution an aqueous dextrose solution
• an alcohol a fatty acid ester, glycerol, a glycol, an oil derived from plant or animal sources, a paraffin and the like.
• compositions for nasal administration may be formulated as aerosols, drops, powders and gels.
• Aerosol formulations typically comprise a solution or fine suspension of the active ingredient in a physiologically acceptable aqueous or non-aqueous solvent.
• Such formulations are typically presented in single or multidose quantities in a sterile form in a sealed container.
• the sealed container can be a cartridge or refill for use with an atomizing device.
• the sealed container may be a unitary dispensing device such as a single use nasal inhaler, pump atomizer or an aerosol dispenser fitted with a metering valve set to deliver a therapeutically effective amount, which is intended for disposal once the contents have been completely used.
• the dosage form comprises an aerosol dispenser, it will contain a propellant such as a compressed gas, air as an example, or an organic propellant including a fluorochlorohydrocarbon or fluorohydrocarbon.
• compositions suitable for buccal or sublingual administration include tablets, lozenges and pastilles, wherein the active ingredient is formulated with a carrier such as sugar and acacia, tragacanth or gelatin and glycerin.
• compositions for rectal administration include suppositories containing a conventional suppository base such as cocoa butter.
• compositions suitable for transdermal administration include ointments, gels and patches.
• compositions known to those skilled in the art can also be applied for percutaneous or subcutaneous administration, such as plasters.
• compositions comprising the active ingredient or ingredients in admixture with components necessary for the formulation of the compositions
• other conventional pharmacologically acceptable additives may be incorporated, for example, excipients, stabilizers, antiseptics, wetting agents, emulsifying agents, lubricants, sweetening agents, coloring agents, flavoring agents, isotonicity agents, buffering agents, antioxidants and the like.
• additives there may be mentioned, for example, starch, sucrose, fructose, lactose, glucose, dextrose, mannitol, sorbitol, precipitated calcium carbonate, crystalline cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, dextrin, gelatin, acacia, EDTA, magnesium stearate, talc, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium metabisulfite, and the like.
• the composition is provided in a unit dosage form such as a tablet or capsule.
• kits including one or more containers comprising pharmaceutical dosage units comprising an effective amount of one or more compounds of the present invention.
• the present invention further provides prodrugs comprising the compounds described herein.
• prodrug is intended to mean a compound that is converted under physiological conditions or by solvolysis or metabolically to a specified compound that is pharmaceutically active.
• the "prodrug” can be a compound of the present invention that has been chemically derivatized such that, (i) it retains some, all or none of the bioactivity of its parent drug compound, and (ii) it is metabolized in a subject to yield the parent drug compound.
• the prodrug of the present invention may also be a "partial prodrug" in that the compound has been chemically derivatized such that, (i) it retains some, all or none of the bioactivity of its parent drug compound, and (ii) it is metabolized in a subject to yield a biologically active derivative of the compound.
• Known techniques for derivatizing compounds to provide prodrugs can be employed. Such methods may utilize formation of a hydrolyzable coupling to the compound.
• the present invention further provides that the compounds of the present invention may be administered in combination with a therapeutic agent used to prevent and/or treat metabolic and/or endocrine disorders, cardiovascular disorders, obesity and obesity- associated disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, genetic disorders, hyperproriferative disorders and inflammatory disorders.
• a therapeutic agent used to prevent and/or treat metabolic and/or endocrine disorders, cardiovascular disorders, obesity and obesity- associated disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, genetic disorders, hyperproriferative disorders and inflammatory disorders.
• agents include analgesics including opioid analgesics, anesthetics, antifungals, antibiotics, antiinflammatories, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, anthelmintics, antiemetics, antihistamines, antihypertensives, antipsychotics, antiarthritics, antitussives, antivirals, cardioactive drugs, cathartics, chemotherapeutic agents such as DNA-interactive agents, antimetabolites, tubulin-interactive agents, hormonal agents, and agents such as asparaginase or hydroxyurea, corticoids (steroids), antidepressants, depressants, diuretics, hypnotics, minerals, nutritional supplements, parasympathomimetics, hormones such as corticotrophin releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropin, growth hormone releasing hormone, growth hormone, thyrptropin- releasing hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone, sedatives, sulfonamides, stimulants, sympathomimetics, tranquilizers,
• Subjects suitable to be treated according to the present invention include, but are not limited to, avian and mammalian subjects, and are preferably mammalian.
• Mammals of the present invention include, but are not limited to, canines, felines, bovines, caprines, equines, ovines, porcines, rodents (e.g. rats and mice), lagomorphs, primates, humans, and the like, and mammals in utero. Any mammalian subject in need of being treated according to the present invention is suitable.
• Human subjects are preferred. Human subjects of both genders and at any stage of development (i.e., neonate, infant, juvenile, adolescent, adult) can be treated according to the present invention.
• Illustrative avians according to the present invention include chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, quail, pheasant, ratites (e.g., ostrich) and domesticated birds (e.g., parrots and canaries), and birds in ovo.
• ratites e.g., ostrich
• domesticated birds e.g., parrots and canaries
• the present invention is primarily concerned with the treatment of human subjects, but the invention can also be carried out on animal subjects, particularly mammalian subjects such as mice, rats, dogs, cats, livestock and horses for veterinary purposes, and for drug screening and drug development purposes.
• the compounds of the present invention or an appropriate pharmaceutical composition thereof may be administered in an effective amount. Since the activity of the compounds and the degree of the therapeutic effect vary, the actual dosage administered will be determined based upon generally recognized factors such as age, condition of the subject, route of delivery and body weight of the subject. The dosage will be from about 0.1 to about 100 mg/kg, administered orally 1-4 times per day. In addition, compounds may be administered by injection at approximately 0.01 - 20 mg/kg per dose, with administration 1-4 times per day. Treatment could continue for weeks, months or longer. Determination of optimal dosages for a particular situation is within the capabilities of those skilled in the art. 5. Methods of Use
• the compounds of the present invention can be used for the prevention and treatment of a range of medical conditions including, but not limited to, metabolic and/or endocrine disorders, cardiovascular disorders, obesity and obesity-associated disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, genetic disorders, hyperproliferative disorders, inflammatory disorders and combinations thereof where the disorder may be the result of multiple underlying maladies.
• Metabolic and/or endocrine disorders include, but are not limited to, obesity and diabetes, in particular, type II diabetes.
• Cardiovascular disorders include, but are not limited to, hypertension and dyslipidemia.
• Hyperproliferative disorders include, but are not limited to, tumors, cancers, and neoplastic tissue, which further include disorders such as breast cancers, osteosarcomas, angiosarcomas, fibrosarcomas and other sarcomas, leukemias, lymphomas, sinus tumors, ovarian, uretal, bladder, prostate and other genitourinary cancers, colon, esophageal and stomach cancers and other gastrointestinal cancers, lung cancers, myelomas, pancreatic cancers, liver cancers, kidney cancers, endocrine cancers, skin cancers, and brain or central and peripheral nervous (CNS) system tumors, malignant or benign, including gliomas and neuroblastomas.
• CNS central and peripheral nervous
• Obesity and obesity-associated disorders include, but are not limited to, retinopathy, hyperphasia and disorders involving regulation of food intake and appetite control in addition to obesity being characterized as a metabolic and/or endocrine disorder.
• Gastrointestinal disorders include, but are not limited to, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, opioid-induced bowel dysfunction and gastroparesis.
• Inflammatory disorders include, but are not limited to, general inflammation, arthritis, for example, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
• the compounds of the present invention can further be used to prevent and/or treat cirrhosis and chronic liver disease. As used herein, "treatment” is not necessarily meant to imply cure or complete abolition of the disorder or symptoms associated therewith.
• the compounds of the present invention can further be utilized for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of a range of medical conditions including, but not limited to, metabolic and/or endocrine disorders, cardiovascular disorders, obesity and obesity- associated disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, genetic disorders, hyperproliferative disorders and inflammatory disorders.
• GHS-R/HEK 293 were prepared from HEK-293 cells stably transfected with the human ghrelin receptor (hGHS-Rla). These membranes were provided by PerkinElmer BioSignal (#RBHGHSM, lot#1887) and utilized at a quantity of 0.71 ⁇ g/assay point. 1. [ 125 I]-Ghrelin (PerkinElmer, #NEX-388); final concentration: 0.0070-0.0085 nM
• Binding Buffer 25 mM Hepes (pH 7.4), 1 mM CaCl 2 , 5 mM MgCl 2 , 2.5 mM EDTA, 0.4% BSA
• the reaction was arrested by filtering samples through Multiscreen Harvest plates (pre-soaked in 0.5% polyethyleneimine) using a Tomtec Harvester, washed 9 times with 500 ⁇ L of cold 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4, 4°C), and then plates were air-dried in a fumehood for 30 min. A bottom seal was applied to the plates prior to the addition of 25 ⁇ L of MicroScint-0 to each well. Plates were than sealed with TopSeal- A and counted for 30 sec per well on a TopCount Microplate Scintillation and Luminescence Counter (PerkinEhner) using a count delay of 60 sec. Results were expressed as counts per minute (cpm).
• Kj values were calculated using a K d value of 0.01 nM for [ 125 I]-ghrelin (previously determined during membrane characterization).
• D max 1 - test concentration with maximal displacement - non-specific binding X 100 total binding - non-specific binding where total and non-specific binding represent the cpm obtained in the absence or presence of 1 ⁇ M ghrelin, respectively.
• HEK293 cells expressing GHS-Rl a receptor were grown in DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium) with 10% FBS, 1% sodium pyruvate, 1% NEAA and 400 ⁇ g/mL geneticin
• Stock solutions of compounds (10 mM in 100% DMSO) were provided frozen on dry ice and stored at -8O°C prior to use. From the stock solution, mother solutions were made at a concentration of 100 ⁇ M by 100- fold dilution in 26% DMSO. Assay plates were then prepared by appropriate dilution in assay buffer.
• Cells were maintained in culture as indicated above. The cells were harvested at a confluency of 70-90% the day before the experiment. Growth medium was removed and the cells rinsed briefly with PBS without Ca +2 and Mg +2 . 0.05% Trypsin was added and the plates incubated at 37°C for 5 min to detach the cells. DMEM medium supplemented with 10% FBS was added to inactivate the trypsin and determine the cell concentration. The inoculum was adjusted to a final concentration of 200 cells/ ⁇ L and dispensed at 200 ⁇ L per well into a 96-well block plate. The plates were incubated at 37°C-overnight The cellular confluence must be between 70-95% on the day of the experiment.
• the plates were removed from the incubator and the media removed by inversion of the plates. Calcium-3 dye, 50 ⁇ L, was loaded and then incubated for 1 h at 37°C. The plate was again inverted and then 25 ⁇ L of assay buffer added. The plates were then transferred to the ImageTrak system for analysis. For agonist testing, after reading for ten (10) sec, 25 ⁇ L of 2x test compound or control was injected into the assay plate. Fluorescence was monitored for an additional 50 sec. A reading was taken every two (2) seconds for a total of 30 readings per assay point.
• values obtained for each assay point reflect Max-Min of fluorescence readings where Max represents the maximal value of the 30 readings taken and Min represents the minimum value observed before injection of the compound from the first five readings.
• Concentration response curves were analyzed using GraphPad Prism (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA) by non-linear regression analysis (sigmoidal dose-response).
• EC 50 values are calculated using GraphPad.
• E max values were calculated using the following formula:
• Basal and Ago(E max ) represent the average counts obtained in the absence or presence of 1 uM ghrelin, respectively.
• values obtained for each assay point reflect Max-Min of fluorescence readings where Max represents the maximal value obtained after injection of ghrelin at EC 8O and Min represents the minimum value observed before injection of the compound from the first five readings.
• Concentration response curves were analyzed using GraphPad Prism (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA) by non-linear regression analysis (sigmoidal dose- response). IC 50 values are calculated using GraphPad.
• I max counts at concentration of compound with maximum response- Ago(EC 80 ).
• Basal - Ago(EC 80 ) where Basal and AgO(EC 80 ) represent the average counts obtained in the absence or presence of 5 nM ghrelin at the second addition step, respectively.
• Example 3 Aequorin Functional Assay (Ghrelin Receptor)
• the functional activity of compounds of the invention found to bind to the GHS-RIa receptor can be determined using the method described below.
• Membranes were prepared using AequoScreenTM (EUROSCREEN, Belgium) cell lines expressing the human ghrelin receptor (cell line ES-410-A; receptor accession #60179). This cell line is constructed by transfection of the human ghrelin receptor into CHO-Kl cells co- expressing G ⁇ i 6 and the mitochondrially targeted Aequorin (Ref #ES-WT-A5).
• Ghrelin reference agonist
• Assay buffer DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium) containing 0.1% BSA (bovine serum albumin; pH 7.0.
• AequoScreenTM cells were collected from culture plates with Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ -free phosphate buffered saline (PBS) supplemented with 5 raM EDTA, pelleted for 2 minutes at
• ghrelin reference agonist
• 50 ⁇ l of the cell suspension was mixed with 50 ⁇ l of the appropriate concentration of test compound or ghrelin (reference agonist) in 96-well plates (duplicate samples).
• Ghrelin (reference agonist) is tested at several concentrations concurrently with the test compounds in order to validate the experiment.
• the emission of light resulting from receptor activation in response to ghrelin or test compounds was recorded using the Hamamatsu FDSS 6000 reader (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Japan).
• RLU Relative Light Units
• results for each concentration of test compound were expressed as percent inhibition relative to the signal induced by ghrelin at a concentration equal to the
• the inverse agonist activity at the ghrelin receptor for compounds of the invention can be determined using the methods described in Intl. Pat. Appl. Publ. No. WO 2004/056869 and Hoist, B.; Cygankiewicz, A.; Halkjaer, T.; Ankersen, A.; Schwartz, T. W. High constitutive signaling of the ghrelin receptor — identification of a potent inverse agonist. MoI. Endocrinol. 2003, 17, 2201-2210. The results for representative compounds of the invention are provided in Table 5.

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