Development of Pyrazolopyrimidine Anti-Wolbachia Agents for the Treatment of Filariasis



McGillan, Paul, Berry, Neil G ORCID: 0000-0003-1928-0738, Nixon, Gemma L, Leung, Suet C, Webborn, Peter JH, Wenlock, Mark C, Kavanagh, Stefan, Cassidy, Andrew, Clare, Rachel H, Cook, Darren A
et al (show 6 more authors) (2021) Development of Pyrazolopyrimidine Anti-Wolbachia Agents for the Treatment of Filariasis. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 12 (9). pp. 1421-1426.

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Abstract

Anti-<i>Wolbachia</i> therapy has been identified as a viable treatment for combating filarial diseases. Phenotypic screening revealed a series of pyrazolopyrimidine hits with potent anti-<i>Wolbachia</i> activity. This paper focuses on the exploration of the SAR for this chemotype, with improvement of metabolic stability and solubility profiles using medicinal chemistry approaches. Organic synthesis has enabled functionalization of the pyrazolopyrimidine core at multiple positions, generating a library of compounds of which many analogues possess nanomolar activity against <i>Wolbachia in vitro</i> with improved DMPK parameters. A lead compound, <b>15f</b>, was selected for <i>in vivo</i> pharmacokinetics (PK) profiling in mice. The combination of potent anti-<i>Wolbachia</i> activity in two <i>in vitro</i> assessments plus the exceptional oral PK profiles in mice puts this lead compound in a strong position for <i>in vivo</i> proof-of-concept pharmacodynamics studies and demonstrates the strong potential for further optimization and development of this series for treatment of filariasis in the future.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Wolbachia, Pyrazolopyrimidine, Onchocerciasis, Filariasis
Divisions: Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 15 Sep 2021 08:21
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 21:28
DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00216
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3137115