Discovery of 7-aminofuro[2,3-c]pyridine inhibitors of TAK1: Optimization of kinase selectivity and pharmacokinetics

The kinase selectivity and pharmacokinetic optimization of a series of 7-aminofuro[2,3-c]pyridine inhibitors of TAK1 is described. The intersection of insights from molecular modeling, computational prediction of metabolic sites, and in vitro metabolite identification studies resulted in a simple and unique solution to both of these problems. These efforts culminated in the discovery of compound 13a, a potent, relatively selective inhibitor of TAK1 with good pharmacokinetic properties in mice, which was active in an in vivo model of ovarian cancer.

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