Structure-Based Bioisosterism Yields HIV-1 NNRTIs with Improved Drug-Resistance Profiles and Favorable Pharmacokinetic Properties

J Med Chem. 2020 May 14;63(9):4837-4848. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00117. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Abstract

The development of efficacious NNRTIs for AIDS therapy commonly encountered the rapid generation of drug-resistant mutations, which becomes a major impediment to effective anti-HIV treatment. Using a structure-based bioisosterism strategy, a series of piperidine-substituted thiophene[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives were designed and synthesized. Compound 9a yielded the greatest potency, exhibiting significantly better anti-HIV-1 activity than ETR against all of the tested NNRTI-resistant HIV-1 strains. In addition, the phenotypic (cross)resistance of 9a and other NRTIs to the different selected HIV-1 strains was evaluated. As expected, no phenotypic cross-resistance against the NRTIs (AZT and PMPA) was observed with the mutant 9ares strain. Furthermore, 9a was identified with improved solubility, lower CYP liability, and hERG inhibition. Remarkably, 9a exhibited optimal pharmacokinetic properties in rats (F = 37.06%) and safety in mice (LD50 > 2000 mg/kg), which highlights 9a as a promising anti-HIV-1 drug candidate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-HIV Agents / metabolism
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enzyme Assays
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / genetics
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase / metabolism
  • HIV-1 / drug effects*
  • HIV-1 / enzymology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Microsomes, Liver / metabolism
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Mutation
  • Protein Binding
  • Pyrimidines / metabolism
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacokinetics
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Thiophenes / metabolism
  • Thiophenes / pharmacokinetics
  • Thiophenes / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Pyrimidines
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
  • Thiophenes
  • reverse transcriptase, Human immunodeficiency virus 1
  • HIV Reverse Transcriptase