Identification and development of a series of disubstituted piperazines for the treatment of Chagas disease

Kate McGonagle, Gary J. Tarver, Juan Cantizani, Ignacio Cotillo, Peter G. Dodd, Liam Ferguson, Ian H. Gilbert, Maria Marco, Tim Miles, Claire Naylor, Maria Osuna-Cabello, Christy Paterson, Kevin D. Read, Erika G. Pinto, Jennifer Riley, Paul Scullion, Yoko Shishikura, Frederick Simeons, Laste Stojanovski, Nina SvensenJohn Thomas, Paul G. Wyatt, Pilar Manzano (Lead / Corresponding author), Manu De Rycker (Lead / Corresponding author), Michael G. Thomas (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Approximately 6-7 million people around the world are estimated to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. The current treatments are inadequate and therefore new medical interventions are urgently needed. In this paper we describe the identification of a series of disubstituted piperazines which shows good potency against the target parasite but is hampered by poor metabolic stability. We outline the strategies used to mitigate this issue such as lowering logD, bioisosteric replacements of the metabolically labile piperazine ring and use of plate-based arrays for quick diversity scoping. We discuss the success of these strategies within the context of this series and highlight the challenges faced in phenotypic programs when attempting to improve the pharmacokinetic profile of compounds whilst maintaining potency against the desired target.

Original languageEnglish
Article number114421
Number of pages14
JournalEuropean Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Volume238
Early online date6 May 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Aug 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Drug Discovery
  • Pharmacology
  • Organic Chemistry

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