Discovery of benzhydrylpiperazine derivatives as CB1 receptor inverse agonists via privileged structure-based approach

The present study describes the identification via privileged structure-based approach of the benzhydrylpiperazine moiety as a potential scaffold to develop novel CB1 receptor modulators. Efficient structural optimization of the initial four hit compounds led to a high quality lead series, represented by compound 6c. Compound 6c is a highly potent and selective CB1 receptor inverse agonist that is able to reduce body weight in diet-induced obese Sprague–Dawley rats. The preparation of privileged structure-based library, the progression from hit to lead, the structure–activity relationships in the lead series and in vitro and in vivo activity of compound 6c are discussed.

Graphical abstractA series of benzhydrylpiperazine derivatives was identified as a novel class of CB1 receptor inverse agonists utilizing privileged structure approach.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide