A new class of selective vasopressin receptor 1A (V1A) antagonists was identified, where "methyl-scan" was performed around the benzene ring of the 5-hydroxy-triazolobenzazepine core. This led to the synthesis of two 10-methyl derivatives, each possessing a chiral axis and a stereogenic center. The four atropisomeric stereoisomers (involving two enantiomer pairs and atropisomeric diastereomers) could be successfully isolated and spectroscopically characterized. According to the in vitro pharmacological profiles of the compounds, the human V1A receptor has a strong preference toward the isomers having an aR axial chirality, the most active isomer being the aR,5S isomer. Furthermore, the structure-activity relationships obtained for the isomers and for the newly synthesized analogues could be tentatively explained by an in silico study.

Our previous scaffold-hopping attempts resulted in dihydropyrazino-benzimidazoles as metabotropic glutamate receptor-2 (mGluR2) positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) with suboptimal drug-like profiles. Here, we report an alternative fragment-based optimization strategy applied on the new dihydropyrazino-benzimidazolone scaffold. Analyzing published high-affinity mGluR2 PAMs, we used a pharmacophore-guided approach to identify suitable growing vectors and optimize the scaffold in these directions. This strategy resulted in a new fragment like lead (34) with improved druglike properties that were translated to sufficient pharmacokinetics and validated proof-of-concept studies in migraine. Gratifyingly, compound 34 showed reasonable activity in the partial infraorbital nerve ligation, a migraine disease model that might open this indication for mGluR2 PAMs.

HTS campaign of the corporate compound collection resulted in a novel, oxalic acid diamide scaffold of α7 nACh receptor positive allosteric modulators. During the hit expansion, several derivatives, such as 4, 11, 17 demonstrated not only high in vitro potency, but also in vivo efficacy in the mouse place recognition test. The advanced hit molecule 11 was further optimized by the elimination of the putatively mutagenic aromatic-amine building block that resulted in a novel, aminomethylindole compound family. The most balanced physico-chemical and pharmacological profile was found in case of compound 55. Docking study revealed an intersubunit binding site to be the most probable for our compounds. 55 demonstrated favorable cognitive enhancing profile not only in scopolamine-induced amnesia (place recognition test in mice) but also in natural forgetting (novel object recognition test in rats). Compound 55 was, furthermore, active in a cognitive paradigm of high translational value, namely in the rat touch screen visual discrimination test. Therefore, 55 was selected as a lead compound for further optimization. Based on the obtained favorable results, the invented aminomethylindole cluster may provide a viable approach for cognitive enhancement through positive allosteric modulation of α7 nAChRs.

The ring opening of 2α,3α- and 2β,3β-epoxy-5α-androstan-17-one with halide reagents (AlCl3, TMSCl, LiCl, and LiBr) was investigated using imidazolium ionic liquids in the dual role of solvent and catalyst. The application of the ionic liquid was shown to result in an increase in the amount of the unusual diequatorial halohydrins especially at temperatures above 100 °C. With a careful choice of reaction conditions, the latter derivatives could be produced with 43-96% selectivity depending on the nature of the halide ion. Moreover, the usual diaxial products could also be isolated in 70-85% yields by a proper change in the reaction conditions. The reusability of the ionic liquid was demonstrated in both types of reactions. The structures of the products were proved unequivocally by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements including two-dimensional (2D) techniques as well as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Based on quantum chemical calculations, the effect of the ionic liquid could be explained by the stabilization of the transition state leading to the diequatorial product.

The paper focuses on the scaffold hopping-based discovery and characterization of novel nicotinic alpha 7 receptor positive modulator (α7 nAChR PAM) ligands around the reference molecule (A-867744). First, substantial efforts were carried out to assess the importance of the various pharmacophoric elements on the in vitro potency (SAR evaluation) by chemical modifications. Subsequently, several new derivatives with versatile, heteroaromatic central cores were synthesized and characterized. A promising, pyrazole-containing new chemotype with good physicochemical and in vitro parameters was identified. Retrospective analysis based on homology modeling was also carried out. Besides its favorable in vitro characteristics, the most advanced derivative 69 also showed in vivo efficacy in a rodent model of cognition (scopolamine-induced amnesia in the mouse place recognition test) and acceptable pharmacokinetic properties. Based on the in vivo data, the resulting molecule with advanced drug-like characteristics has the possibility to improve cognitive performance in a biologically relevant dose range, further strengthening the view of the supportive role of α7 nACh receptors in the cognitive processes.

The two-step acidic hydrolysis of α-hydroxybenzylphosphonates and a few related derivatives was monitored in order to determine the kinetics and to map the reactivity of the differently substituted phosphonates in hydrolysis. Electron-withdrawing substituents increased the rate, while electron-releasing ones slowed down the reaction. Both hydrolysis steps were characterized by pseudo-first-order rate constants. The fission of the second P-O-C bond was found to be the rate-determining step.

A scaffold hopping strategy converted the known 1-[(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)methyl]-4-phenylpiperidine core (1 and 2) by cyclization to a fused [6 + 5+6] membered heterocyclic mGluR2 PAM scaffold. Pharmacophore guided structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies resulted in a series of potent and metabolically stable mGluR2 PAMs. A representative optimized compound (95) having the most balanced profile, demonstrated efficacy in the PCP-induced hyper-locomotion model in mice that revealed the new chemotype being a promising PAM lead targeting mGluR2 receptors and providing support for further translational studies. (C) 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A series of 2-anilinopyrimidines including novel derivatives has been obtained from 2-chloro-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine by aromatic nucleophilic substitution with differently substituted anilines under microwave conditions. The substituents had a significant impact on the course and efficiency of the reaction. The results reported herein demonstrate the efficacy of microwaves in the synthesis of the title heterocyclic compounds as compared to the results obtained with conventional heating. The 2-anilinopyrimidines described are of potential bioactivity.

The reaction of dimethyl (1-aryl-1-hydroxymethyl)phosphonates with 1-chloro-3-phospholene 1-oxides, diphenylphosphinic chloride or diphenyl chloridophosphonate affords the corresponding (1-phosphoryloxymethyl)phosphonates. The products with two different >P(O)– moieties exhibit characteristic δP shifts and 3JP,P couplings in the 31P NMR spectra.

A series of acylated α-aminophosphine oxides were synthesized by the microwave-assisted Kabachnik-Fields reaction of a series of carboxylic acid amides, formaldehyde and secondary phosphine oxides. To compensate the lower reactivity of the -NH2 reagents, they had to be used in an excess. The solvolytic condensations furnished the α-aminophosphine oxides in yields of 58-93% after purification by chromatography.

The first integrated continuous-flow synthesis of the drug substance flibanserin was developed, using an uninterrupted four-step sequence,viaan unprecedented route.

In this study, lipase-mediated dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of various benzylic amines (1a-g) is presented which is realized in a so far unprecedented fully continuous-flow system. The DKR process applying sol gel immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica as biocatalyst, palladium on 3-aminopropyl-functionalized silica as racemization catalyst, isopropyl 2-ethoxyacetate as acylating agent, ammonium formate as hydrogen and nitrogen sources, and 2-methyl-2-butanol as solvent under regulated pressure provided the desired products in moderate to good yields with excellent enantiomeric excesses.

Negative allosteric modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) showed efficacy in a number of animal models of different CNS diseases including anxiety and depression. Virtually all of the compounds which reached the clinic belong to the same chemotype having an acetylenic linker that connects (hetero)cyclic moieties. Searching for new chemotypes we identified a morpholino-sulfoquinoline derivative (1) by screening our corporate compound deck. The HTS hit showed reasonable affinity and selectivity towards mGlu5 receptors, however, its inferior metabolic stability prevented its testing in vivo. In a chemical program we aimed to improve the affinity, physicochemical properties and metabolic stability exploring three regions of the hit. Systematic variation of different amines at position 4 (region I) led to the identification of 4-methyl-piperidinyl analogues. Substituents of the quinoline core (region II) and the phenylsulfonyl moiety (region III) were mapped by parallel synthesis. Evaluation of both morpholino- and 4-methyl-piperidinyl-sulfoquinoline libraries of about 270 derivatives revealed beneficial substituent combinations in regions II and III. Blood levels of optimized 4-methyl-piperidinyl-sulfoquinolines, however, were still insufficient for robust in vivo efficacy. Finally, introducing 4-hydoxymethyl-piperidinyl substituent to region I resulted in new sulfoquinolines with greatly improved solubility and reasonable affinity coupled with affordable metabolic stability. The most promising analogues (24 and 25) showed high blood levels and demonstrated significant efficacy in the experimental model of anxiety.

A continuous-flow system consisting of two sequential microreactors was developed for the synthesis of nonsymmetrically substituted ureas starting from tert-butoxycarbonyl protected amines. Short reaction times could be achieved under mild conditions. In-line FT-IR analytical technique was used to monitor the reaction, including the formation of the isocyanate intermediate, thus allowing optimization of the reagent ratios. The mechanistic role of the applied base was also clarified. The setup was successfully utilized for the synthesis of several urea derivatives including the active pharmaceutical ingredient cariprazine.

Flow chemistry proved to be a valuable technique to improve the synthesis route to melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHr1) antagonists with the 1H,2H,3H,4H,5H-[1,4]diazepino[1,7-a]indole scaffold. A one-step route for the heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of ethyl 4-(2-nitrophenyl)-3-oxobutanoate for the synthesis of ethyl 2-(2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-2-yl)acetate was developed, and the use of common reducing chemicals was avoided. N-Alkylation of the indoline nitrogen atom was also optimized by using a purpose-built flow reactor and by design of experiment (DoE). Applying an optimal set of parameters allowed us to decrease the amount of carcinogenic 1,2-dibromoethane used by a factor of 10. Additionally, nearly complete conversion was achieved in a fraction of the original reaction time (30 min vs. 4 d); therefore, the productivity (space-time yield) of the flow-reactor system was proven to be ca. 200 times higher than that of the batch process.

Negative allosteric modulators (NAM) of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) have been implicated as a potential pharmacotherapy for a number of psychiatric diseases, including anxiety and depression. Most of the mGluR5 NAM clinical candidates can be characterized by the central acetylenic moiety that connects the terminal pharmacophores. Identification of a sulfoquinoline hit via high throughput screening (HTS) followed by optimization provided a 4-phenyl-3-aryl-sulfoquinoline lead compound with the minimal pharmacophore. Optimization of the core and aryl appendages was performed by scanning and matrix libraries synthesized by the multiple parallel synthesis approach. Biological evaluation of matrix libraries provided a number of potent, metabolically stable, and in vivo active compounds. One of these compounds, 25 showed high efficacy and safety in preclinical in vivo models; this allowed its nomination as a novel, nonacetylenic mGluR5 NAM clinical candidate. Compound 25 was advanced to first-in-man trials for the treatment of psychiatric conditions.

Continuous-flow multistep synthesis is combined with quasi-continuous final-product purification to produce pure products from crude reaction mixtures. In the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of 2,4-difluoronitrobenzene with morpholine followed by a heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation, the desired monosubstituted product can be continuously separated from the co- and by-products in a purity of over 99% by coupling a flow reactor sequence to a multiple dual-mode (MDM) centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) device. This purification technique has many advantages over HPLC, such as higher resolution and no need for column replacement or silica recycling, and it does not suffer from irreversible adsorption.

High throughput screening of our corporate compound library followed by hit-to-lead development resulted in a 4-aryl-3-arylsulfonyl-quinoline derivative lead (2) with mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator activity. During the lead optimization process, our objective was to improve affinity and metabolic stability. Modifications at the three targeted regions of the lead structure resulted in compounds with nanomolar affinity and acceptable metabolic stability. One of the most promising compounds (3), showing excellent in vivo efficacy, was selected for preclinical development and subsequent phase I clinical studies.

ChemInformVolume 46, Issue 14 Organoelement Compounds ChemInform Abstract: T3P®-Assisted Esterification and Amidation of Phosphinic Acids. Erzsebet Jablonkai, Erzsebet Jablonkai Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorReka Henyecz, Reka Henyecz Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorMatyas Milen, Matyas Milen Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorJanos Koti, Janos Koti Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorGyoergy Keglevich, Gyoergy Keglevich Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this author Erzsebet Jablonkai, Erzsebet Jablonkai Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorReka Henyecz, Reka Henyecz Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorMatyas Milen, Matyas Milen Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorJanos Koti, Janos Koti Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this authorGyoergy Keglevich, Gyoergy Keglevich Dep. Org. Chem. Technol., Univ. Technol. Econ., H-1521 Budapest, Hung.Search for more papers by this author First published: 19 March 2015 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.201514248Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume46, Issue14April, 2015 RelatedInformation

ABSTRACT The title compounds were synthesized by the microwave‐assisted, mostly solvent‐free bis Kabachnik–Fields condensation of β‐alanine and γ‐aminobutyric acid or their esters with formaldehyde and >P(O)H species, such as dialkyl phosphites and diphenylphosphine oxide.