PMID: 18163548

Authors:

Frederickson M, Callaghan O, Chessari G, Congreve M, Cowan SR, Matthews JE, McMenamin R, Smith DM, Vinkovic M, Wallis NG

Title:

Fragment-based discovery of mexiletine derivatives as orally bioavailable inhibitors of urokinase-type plasminogen activator.

Journal:

J Med Chem. 2008 Jan 24;51(2):183-6. Epub 2007 Dec 29.

Abstract:

Fragment-based lead discovery has been applied to urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). The (R)-enantiomer of the orally active drug mexiletine 5 (a fragment hit from X-ray crystallographic screening) was the chemical starting point. Structure-aided design led to elaborated inhibitors that retained the key interactions of (R)-5 while gaining extra potency by simultaneously occupying neighboring regions of the active site. Subsequent optimization led to 15, a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable inhibitor of uPA.