Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Heterocyclic carbon compounds containing a hetero ring...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-02
2004-01-13
Shah, Mukund J. (Department: 1624)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Heterocyclic carbon compounds containing a hetero ring...
C544S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06677340
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonists, and to methods of treating disorders by administration of such antagonists to a warm-blooded animal in need thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), also known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), is a decapeptide (pGlu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH
2
) that plays an important role in human reproduction. GnRH is released from the hypothalamus and acts on the pituitary gland to stimulate the biosynthesis and release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). LH released from the pituitary gland is responsible for the regulation of gonadal steroid production in both males and females, while FSH regulates spermatogenesis in males and follicular development in females.
Due to its biological importance, synthetic antagonists and agonists to GnRH have been the focus of considerable attention, particularly in the context of prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine leiomyoma, and precocious puberty. For example, peptidic GnRH agonists, such as leuprorelin (pGlu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-D-Leu-Leu-Arg-Pro-NHEt), have been used to treat such conditions. Such agonists appear to function by binding to the GnRH receptor in the pituitary gonadotropins, thereby inducing the synthesis and release of gonadotropins. Chronic administration of GnRH agonists depletes gonadotropins and subsequently down-regulates the receptor, resulting in suppression of steroidal hormones after some period of time (e.g., on the order of 2-3 weeks following initiation of chronic administration).
In contrast, GnRH antagonists are believed to suppress gonadotropins from the onset, and thus have received the most attention over the past two decades. To date, some of the primary obstacles to the clinical use of such antagonists have been their relatively low bioavailability and adverse side effects caused by histamine release. However, several peptidic antagonists with low histamine release properties have been reported, although they still must be delivered via sustained delivery routes (such as subcutaneous injection or intranasal spray) due to limited bioavailability.
In view of the limitations associated with peptidic GnRH antagonists, a number of nonpeptidic compounds have been proposed. For example, Cho et al. (
J. Med. Chem.
41:4190-4195, 1998) discloses thieno[2,3-b]pyridin-4-ones for use as GnRH receptor antagonists; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,780,437 and 5,849,764 teach substituted indoles as GnRH receptor antagonists (as do published PCTs WO 97/21704, 98/55479, 98/55470, 98/55116, 98/55119, 97/21707, 97/21703 and 97/21435); published PCT WO 96/38438 discloses tricyclic diazepines as GNRH receptor antagonists; published PCTs WO97/14682, 97/14697 and 99/09033 disclose quinoline and thienopyridine derivatives as GnRH antagonists; published PCTs WO 97/44037, 97/44041, 97/44321 and 97/44339 teach substituted quinolin-2-ones as GnRH receptor antagonists; and published PCT WO 99/33831 discloses certain phenyl-substituted fused nitrogen-containing bicyclic compounds as GnRH receptor antagonists.
While significant strides have been made in this field, there remains a need in the art for effective small molecule GnRH receptor antagonists. There is also a need for pharmaceutical compositions containing such GnRH receptor antagonists, as well as methods relating to the use thereof to treat, for example, sex-hormone related conditions. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other related advantages.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In brief, this invention is generally directed to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonists, as well as to methods for their preparation and use, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing the same. More specifically, the GnRH receptor antagonists of this invention are compounds having the following general structure (I):
including stereoisomers, prodrugs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R
1
, R
2
, R
3a
, R
3b
, R
4
, R
5
and n are as defined below.
The GnRH receptor antagonists of this invention have utility over a wide range of therapeutic applications, and may be used to treat a variety of sex-hormone related conditions in both men and women, as well as a mammal in general (also referred to herein as a “subject”). For example, such conditions include endometriosis, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian disease, hirsutism, precocious puberty, gonadal steroid-dependent neoplasia such as cancers of the prostate, breast and ovary, gonadotrophe pituitary adenomas, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, benign prostatic hypertrophy, contraception and infertility (e.g., assisted reproductive therapy such as in vitro fertilization). The compounds of this invention are also useful as an adjunct to treatment of growth hormone deficiency and short stature, and for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosis. The compounds are also useful in combination with androgens, estrogens, progesterones, and antiestrogens and antiprogestogens for the treatment of endometriosis, fibroids, and in contraception, as well as in combination with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, an angiotensin II-receptor antagonist, or a renin inhibitor for the treatment of uterine fibroids. In addition, the compounds may be used in combination with bisphosphonates and other agents for the treatment and/or prevention of disturbances of calcium, phosphate and bone metabolism, and in combination with estrogens, progesterones and/or androgens for the prevention or treatment of bone loss or hypogonadal symptoms such as hot flashes during therapy with a GnRH antagonist.
The methods of this invention include administering an effective amount of a GnRH receptor antagonist, preferably in the form of a pharmaceutical composition, to a mammal in need thereof. Thus, in still a further embodiment, pharmaceutical compositions are disclosed containing one or more GnRH receptor antagonists of this invention in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and/or diluent.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent upon reference to the following detailed description. To this end, various references are set forth herein which describe in more detail certain background information, procedures, compounds and/or compositions, and are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As mentioned above, the present invention is directed generally to compounds useful as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonists. The compounds of this invention have the following structure (I):
including stereoisomers, prodrugs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof,
wherein:
n is 2, 3 or 4;
R
1
and R
2
are the same or different and independently hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heterocyclealkyl, substituted heterocyclealkyl, —C(R
8
)(═NR
9
) or —C(NR
10
R
11
)(═NR
9
);
or R
1
and R
2
taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a heterocycle or substituted heterocycle;
R
3a
and R
3b
are the same or different and, at each occurrence, independently hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aryl, substituted aryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heterocyclealkyl, substituted heterocyclealkyl, —COOR
12
or —CONR
10
R
11
;
or R
3a
and R
3b
taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a homocycle, substituted homocycle, heterocycle or substituted heterocycle;
or R
3a
and the carbon to which it is attached taken together with R
1
and the nitrogen to which it is attached form a heterocycle or substituted heterocycle;
R
4
is arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl or substituted heteroarylalkyl;
R
5
is aryl, substituted aryl
Chen Chen
Guo Zhiqiang
Regan Collin
Tucci Fabio
Wu Dongpei
Balasubramanian Venkataraman
Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.
Seed IP Law Group PLLC
Shah Mukund J.
LandOfFree
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