Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series – Organic compounds – Four or more ring nitrogens in the bicyclo ring system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-25
2002-05-14
Ramsuer, Robert W. (Department: 1626)
Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series
Organic compounds
Four or more ring nitrogens in the bicyclo ring system
C544S333000, C546S270700, C548S195000, C514S866000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06388071
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Glucokinase (GK) is one of four hexokinases found in mammals [Colowick, S. P., in
The Enzymes
, Vol. 9 (P. Boyer, ed.) Academic Press, New York, N.Y., pages 1-48, 1973]. The hexokinases catalyze the first step in the metabolism of glucose, i.e., the conversion of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate. Glucokinase has a limited cellular distribution, being found principally in pancreatic &bgr;-cells and liver parenchymal cells. In addition, GK is a rate-controlling enzyme for glucose metabolism in these two cell types that are known to play critical roles in whole-body glucose homeostasis [Chipkin, S. R., Kelly, K. L., and Ruderman, N. B. in
Joslin's Diabetes
(C. R. Khan and G. C. Wier, eds.), Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, Pa., pages 97-115, 1994]. The concentration of glucose at which GK demonstrates half-maximal activity is approximately 8 mM. The other three hexokinases are saturated with glucose at much lower concentrations (<1 mM). Therefore, the flux of glucose through the GK pathway rises as the concentration of glucose in the blood increases from fasting (5 mM) to postprandial (≈10-15 mM) levels following a carbohydrate-containing meal [Printz, R. G., Magnuson, M. A., and Granner, D. K. in
Ann. Rev. Nutrition
Vol. 13 (R. E. Olson, D. M. Bier, and D. B. McCormick, eds.), Annual Review, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., pages 463-496, 1993]. These findings contributed over a decade ago to the hypothesis that GK functions as a glucose sensor in &bgr;-cells and hepatocytes (Meglasson, M. D. and Matschinsky, F. M.
Amer. J. Physiol.
246, E1-E13, 1984). In recent years, studies in transgenic animals have confirmed that GK does indeed play a critical role in whole-body glucose homeostasis. Animals that do not express GK die within days of birth with severe diabetes while animals overexpressing GK have improved glucose tolerance (Grupe, A., Hultgren, B., Ryan, A. et al.,
Cell
83, 69-78, 1995; Ferrie, T., Riu, E., Bosch, F. et al.,
FASEB J.,
10, 1213-1218, 1996). An increase in glucose exposure is coupled through GK in p-cells to increased insulin secretion and in hepatocytes to increased glycogen deposition and perhaps decreased glucose production.
The finding that type II maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY-2) is caused by loss of function mutations in the GK gene suggests that GK also functions as a glucose sensor in humans (Liang, Y., Kesavan, P., Wang, L. et al.,
Biochem. J.
309, 167-173, 1995). Additional evidence supporting an important role for GK in the regulation of glucose metabolism in humans was provided by the identification of patients that express a mutant form of GK with increased enzymatic activity. These patients exhibit a fasting hypoglycemia associated with an inappropriately elevated level of plasma insulin (Glaser, B., Kesavan, P., Heyman, M. et al.,
New England J .Med.
338, 226-230, 1998). While mutations of the GK gene are not found in the majority of patients with type II diabetes, compounds that activate GK and, thereby, increase the sensitivity of the GK sensor system will still be useful in the treatment of the hyperglycemia characteristic of all type II diabetes. Glucokinase activators will increase the flux of glucose metabolism in &bgr;-cells and hepatocytes, which will be coupled to increased insulin secretion. Such agents would be useful for treating type II diabetes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a compound, comprising an amide of the formula:
wherein R is hydrogen, lower alkyl, hydroxy lower alkyl, lower alkoxy lower alkyl,
an unsubstituted or hydroxy substituted cycloalkyl ring containing 5 or 6 ring carbon atoms, a five- or six-membered saturated heterocyclic ring, which contains from 1 to 3 hetero ring atoms selected from the group consisting of sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen, or an unsubstituted five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring, connected by a ring carbon atom, which contains from 1 to 3 heteroatoms in the ring selected from the group consisting of sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen; R
3
is cycloalkyl having 3 to 7 carbon atoms; R
4
is an unsubstituted or mono-substituted five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring, connected by a ring carbon atom to the amine group shown, which five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring contains from 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen, with one heteroatom being nitrogen adjacent to the connecting ring carbon atom; said mono-substituted heteroaromatic ring being monosubstituted at a position on a ring carbon atom other than adjacent to said connecting carbon atom with a substituent selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, halo, nitro, cyano,
—(CH
2
)
m
—OR
6
,
—(CH
2
)
m
—NHR
6
;
n is an integer from 0 to 2;
m is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;
R
1
, R
2
, R
6
, R
7
and R
8
are independently hydrogen or lower alkyl and * designates the assymetric carbon atom center;
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
The compounds of formula I have been found to activate glucokinase in vitro. Glucokinase activators are useful for increasing insulin secretion in the treatment of type II diabetes in humans.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a compound, comprising an amide of the formula:
In the compound of formula I, the “*” designates the asymmetric carbon atom in this compound with the R optical configuration being preferred. The compound of formula I may be present in the pure R form or as a racemic or other mixtures of compounds of formula I having the R and S optical configuration at the asymmetric carbon shown. The pure R enantiomers are preferred.
As used throughout this application, the term “lower alkyl” includes both straight chain and branched chain alkyl groups having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, preferably methyl and ethyl. As used herein, the term “halogen or halo” unless otherwise stated, designates all four halogens, i.e. fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.
The term “hydroxy lower alkyl” includes any hydroxy lower alkyl group where lower alkyl is defined as above. The hydroxy can be substituted at any place on the lower alkyl group such as 1-hydroxy ethyl, 2-hydroxy propyl, or 2-hydroxy isopropyl. Lower alkoxy lower alkyl denotes any hydroxy lower alkyl group wherein the hydrogen of the hydroxy moiety is substituted by lower alkyl. The cycloalkyl groups, unless otherwise designated, are those compounds having a ring of from 3 to 7 carbon atoms, particularly cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclobutyl and cyclopropyl. The preferable cycloalkyl groups contain from 5 to 6 ring carbon atoms.
R can be any five- or six-membered saturated heterocyclic ring containing from 1 to 3, preferably from 1 to 2, heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen. Any such five- or six-membered saturated heterocyclic ring can be used in accordance with this invention. Among the preferred rings are morpholinyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperazinyl, piperidinyl, etc.
As used herein, the term “lower alkanoic acid” denotes lower alkanoic acids containing from 2 to 7 carbon atoms such as propionic acid, acetic acid and the like. The term “lower alkanoyl” denotes monovalent alkanoyl groups having from 2 to 7 carbon atoms such as propionoyl, acetyl and the like. The term “aroic acids” denotes aryl alkanoic acids where aryl is as defined above and alkanoic contains from 1 to 6 carbon atoms. The term “aroyl” denotes aroic acids wherein aryl is any aromatic hydrocarbon containing 6 or 12 carbon atoms, preferably phenyl, and the aroic acids have hydrogen group of the acid COOH moiety removed. Among the preferred aroyl groups is benzoyl.
During the course of the reaction the various functional groups such as the free carboxylic acid or hydroxy groups will be protected via conventional hydrolyzable ester or ether protecting groups. As used herein the term “hydrolyzable ester or ether protecting groups” designates any ester or ether conventionally used for protecting carboxylic acids or alcohols which can be hydrolyzed to yield the res
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.
Ramsuer Robert W.
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