Download MendeleyDevelopment of a New Structural Class of Broadly Acting HCV Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors Leading to the Discovery of MK-8876.
McComas, C.C., Palani, A., Chang, W., Holloway, M.K., Lesburg, C.A., Li, P., Liverton, N., Meinke, P.T., Olsen, D.B., Peng, X., Soll, R.M., Ummat, A., Wu, J., Wu, J., Zorn, N., Ludmerer, S.W.(2017) ChemMedChem 12: 1436-1448
- PubMed: 28741898 Search on PubMed
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.201700228
- Primary Citation Related Structures:
5W2E - PubMed Abstract:
Studies directed at developing a broadly acting non-nucleoside inhibitor of HCV NS5B led to the discovery of a novel structural class of 5-aryl benzofurans that simultaneously interact with both the palm I and palm II binding regions. An initial candidate was potent in vitro against HCV GT1a and GT1b replicons, and induced multi-log reductions in HCV viral load when orally dosed to chronic GT1 infected chimpanzees. However, in vitro potency losses against clinically relevant GT1a variants prompted a further effort to develop compounds with sustained potency across a broader array of HCV genotypes and mutants. Ultimately, a biology and medicinal chemistry collaboration led to the discovery of the development candidate MK-8876. MK-8876 demonstrated a pan-genotypic potency profile and maintained potency against clinically relevant mutants. It demonstrated moderate bioavailability in rats and dogs, but showed low plasma clearance characteristics consistent with once-daily dosing. Herein we describe the efforts which led to the discovery of MK-8876, which advanced into Phase 1 monotherapy studies for evaluation and characterization as a component of an all-oral direct-acting drug regimen for the treatment of chronic HCV infection.
- Merck & Co. Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
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