The transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cation channel that can be activated by a wide range of noxious stimuli, including capsaicin, acid, and heat. Blockade of TRPV1 activation by selective antagonists is under investigation in an attempt to identify novel agents for pain treatment. The design and synthesis of a series of novel TRPV1 antagonists with a variety of different 6,6-heterocyclic cores is described, and an extensive evaluation of the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of a number of these compounds is reported. For example, the 1,8-naphthyridine 52 was characterized as an orally bioavailable and brain penetrant TRPV1 antagonist. In vivo, 52 fully reversed carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia (CITH) in rats and dose-dependently potently reduced complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced chronic inflammatory pain after oral administration.

The transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective cation channel that can be activated by a wide range of noxious stimuli, including capsaicin, acid, and heat. Blockade of TRPV1 activation by selective antagonists is under investigation in an attempt to identify novel agents for pain treatment. During pre-clinical development, the 1,8-naphthyridine 2 demonstrated unacceptably high levels of irreversible covalent binding. Replacement of the 1,8-naphthyridine core by a pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine led to the discovery of compound 26 which was shown to have significantly lower potential for the formation of reactive metabolites. Compound 26 was characterized as an orally bioavailable TRPV1 antagonist with moderate brain penetration. In vivo, 26 significantly attenuated carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia (CITH) and dose-dependently reduced complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic inflammatory pain after oral administration.