Sulfonamidopyrrolidinone factor Xa inhibitors: Potency and selectivity enhancements via P-1 and P-4 optimization

Sulfonamidopyrrolidinones were previously disclosed as a selective class of factor Xa (fXa) inhibitors, culminating in the identification of RPR120844 as a potent member with efficacy in vivo. Recognizing the usefulness of the central pyrrolidinone template for the presentation of ligands to the S-l and S-4 subsites of Ma, studies to optimize the P-1 and P-4 groups were initiated. Sulfonamidopyrrolidinones containing 4-hydroxy- and 4-aminobenzamidines were discovered to be effective inhibitors of Ma. X-ray crystallographic experiments in trypsin and molecular modeling studies suggest that our inhibitors bind by insertion of the 4-hydroxybenzamidine moiety into the S-1 subsite of the Ma active site. Of the P-4 groups examined, the pyridylthienyl sulfonamides were found to confer excellent potency and selectivity especially in combination with 4-hydroxybenzamidine. Compound 20b (RPR130737) was shown to be a potent Ma inhibitor (K-i = 2 nM) with selectivity against structurally related serine proteinases ( > 1000 times). Preliminary biological evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of this inhibitor in common assays of thrombosis in vitro (e.g. activated partial thromboplastin time) and in vivo (e.g. rat FeCl2-induced carotid artery thrombosis model).