2. Academic Validation
  3. Discovery of a potent and orally active hedgehog pathway antagonist (IPI-926)

Discovery of a potent and orally active hedgehog pathway antagonist (IPI-926)

  • J Med Chem. 2009 Jul 23;52(14):4400-18. doi: 10.1021/jm900305z.
Martin R Tremblay 1,  André Lescarbeau,  Michael J Grogan,  Eddy Tan,  Grace Lin,  Brian C Austad,  Lin-Chen Yu,  Mark L Behnke,  Somarajan J Nair,  Margit Hagel,  Kerry White,  James Conley,  Joseph D Manna,  Teresa M Alvarez-Diez,  Jennifer Hoyt,  Caroline N Woodward,  Jens R Sydor,  Melissa Pink,  John MacDougall,  Matthew J Campbell,  Jill Cushing,  Jeanne Ferguson,  Michael S Curtis,  Karen McGovern,  Margaret A Read,  Vito J Palombella,  Julian Adams,  Alfredo C Castro
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. Martin.Tremblay@infi.com
PMID: 19522463 DOI: 10.1021/jm900305z
Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that blocking aberrant Hedgehog pathway signaling may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of several types of Cancer. Cyclopamine, a plant Veratrum alkaloid, is a natural product antagonist of the Hedgehog pathway. In a previous report, a seven-membered D-ring semisynthetic analogue of cyclopamine, IPI-269609 (2), was shown to have greater acid stability and better aqueous solubility compared to cyclopamine. Further modifications of the A-ring system generated three series of analogues with improved potency and/or solubility. Lead compounds from each series were characterized in vitro and evaluated in vivo for biological activity and pharmacokinetic properties. These studies led to the discovery of IPI-926 (compound 28), a novel semisynthetic cyclopamine analogue with substantially improved pharmaceutical properties and potency and a favorable pharmacokinetic profile relative to cyclopamine and compound 2. As a result, complete tumor regression was observed in a Hh-dependent medulloblastoma allograft model after daily oral administration of 40 mg/kg of compound 28.

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