Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories, PO Box 2000, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. john_stelmach@merck.com
Abstract:
The development of potent, orally bioavailable (in rat) and selective dihydroquinazolinone inhibitors of p38alpha MAP kinase is described. These analogues are hybrids of a pyridinylimidazole p38alpha inhibitor reported by Merck Research Laboratories and VX-745. Optimization of the C-5 phenyl and the C-7 piperidinyl substituents led to the identification of 15i which gave excellent suppression of TNF-alpha production in LPS-stimulated whole blood (IC(50)=10nM) and good oral exposure in rats (F=68%, AUCn PO=0.58 microM h).