PMID: 32530624

Authors:

Liu Y, Wu J, Zhou M, Chen W, Li D, Wang ZG, Hornsperger B, Aebi JD, Marki HP, Kuhn B, Wang L, Kuglstatter A, Benz J, Muller S, Hochstrasser R, Ottaviani G, Xin J, Kirchner S, Mohr S, Verry P, Riboulet W, Shen HC, Mayweg AV, Amrein K, Tan X

Title:

Discovery of 3-Pyridyl Isoindolin-1-one Derivatives as Potent, Selective and Orally Active Aldosterone Synthase (CYP11B2) Inhibitors.

Journal:

J Med Chem. 2020 Jun 12. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00233.

Abstract:

Aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) inhibitors were explored in recent years as an alternative therapeutic option to MR antagonists to reduce elevated aldosterone levels, which are associated with deleterious effects on various organ systems including heart, vasculature, kidney, and CNS. A benzamide pyridine hit derived from a focused screen was successfully developed into a series of potent and selective 3-pyridyl isoindolin-1-ones CYP11B2 inhibitors. Our systematic structure-activity relationship study enabled us to identify unique structural features that result in high selectivity against the closely homologous cortisol synthase (CYP11B1). We evaluated advanced lead molecules, exemplified by compound 44, in an in vivo cynomolgus monkey acute ACTH challenge model and demonstrated a superior 100-fold in vivo selectivity against CYP11B1.