Discovery of triazolo [1,5-a] pyridine derivatives as novel JAK1/2 inhibitors.

Small molecule JAK inhibitors have been demonstrated efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis with the approval of several drugs. Aiming to develop potent JAK1/2 inhibitors, two series of triazolo [1,5-a] pyridine derivatives were designed and synthesized by various strategies. The pharmacological results identified the optimized compounds J-4 and J-6, which exerted high potency against JAK1/2, and selectivity over JAK3 in enzyme assays. Furthermore, J-4 and J-6 effectively suppressed proliferation of JAK1/2 high-expression BaF3 cells accompanied with acceptable metabolic stability in liver microsomes. Therefore, J-4 and J-6 might serve as promising JAK1/2 inhibitors for further investigation.