Design and synthesis of a metabolically stable and potent antitussive agent, a novel δ opioid receptor antagonist, TRK-851

We have previously reported on antitussive effect of (5R,9R,13S,14S)-17-cyclopropylmethyl-6,7-didehydro-4,5-epoxy-5′,6′-dihydro-3-methoxy-4′H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolino[2′,1′:6,7]morphinan-14-ol(1b) methanesulfonate (TRK-850), a selective δ opioid receptor antagonist which markedly reduced the number of coughs in a rat cough model. We designed TRK-850 based on naltrindole (NTI), a typical δ opioid receptor antagonist, to improve its permeability through the blood–brain barrier by introducing hydrophobic moieties to NTI. The ED50 values of NTI and compound 1b by intraperitoneal injections were 104 μg/kg and 2.07 μg/kg, respectively. This increased antitussive potency probably resulted from the improved brain exposure of compound 1b. However, 1b was extremely unstable toward metabolism by cytochrome P450. In this study, we designed and synthesized compound 1b derivatives to improve the metabolic instability, which resulted in affording highly potent and metabolically stable oral antitussive agent (5R,9R,13S,14S)-17-cyclopropylmethyl-6,7-didehydro-4,5-epoxy-8′-fluoro-5′,6′-dihydro-4′H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinolino[2′,1′:6,7]morphinan-3,14-diol (1c) methanesulfonate (TRK-851).

A series of naltrindole derivatives with an extra fused ring structure were synthesized, and their antitussive activities and metabolic stabilities were evaluated.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide