Synthesis and SAR of (piperazin-1-yl-phenyl)-arylsulfonamides: A novel series of atypical antipsychotic agents

(Piperazin-1-yl-phenyl)-arylsulfonamides were synthesized and identified to show high affinities for both 5-HT2C and 5-HT6 receptors. Among them, naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid isopropyl-[3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-phenyl]-amide (6b) exhibits the highest affinity towards both 5-HT2C (IC50 = 4 nM) and 5-HT6 receptors (IC50 = 3 nM) with good selectivity over other serotonin (5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT7) and dopamine (D2–D4) receptor subtypes. In 5-HT2C and 5-HT6 receptor functional assays, this compound showed considerable antagonistic activity for both receptors.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide