JNJ-18038683

Compound 1c, 5-chloro-2-(2-(3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)ethyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-one was previously reported from our laboratory showing high affinity binding to the 5-HT₇ receptor (Ki = 0.5 nM). However, compound 1c racemizes readily upon enantiomeric separation. To prevent racemization, we have redesigned and synthesized methyl and carboxyethyl analogs, compounds 2 and 3 respectively, whose binding affinities were similar to those of compound 1c. Compounds 2 and 3 cannot undergo racemization since tautomerism was no longer possible and thus, compound 2 was selected for enantiomeric separation and further evaluation. Upon enantiomeric separation, the levorotatory enantiomer, (-)2 or 2a demonstrated a higher affinity (Ki = 1.2 nM) than the (+)2 or 2b enantiomer (Ki = 93 nM) and a β-arrestin biased functional selectivity for the 5-HT₇ receptor. Although 2a showed about 8 times less activity than 5-HT in the Gs pathway, it showed over 31 times higher activity than 5-HT in the β-arrestin pathway. This constitutes a significant β-arrestin pathway preference and shows 2a to be more potent and more efficacious than the recently published β-arrestin biased 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydropyrazolo[3,4-d]azepine, the N-debenzylated analog of JNJ18038683 (Compound 7).

The synthesis of the 5-HT7 antagonist 1-benzyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydropyrazolo[3,4-d]azepine is described using a regioselective assembly of a pyrazole ring fused to an azepine ring.Two different approaches were examined for the construction of the fused pyrazole-azepine heterocyclic core.These were based on the timing and method of installation of the appended aryl ring and construction of the fused heterocycle.The team focused on a route that featured a palladium coupling reaction to introduce the aryl ring via a pyrazole triflate and a selective alkylation to set the position of benzyl moiety on the pyrazole nitrogen.This led to a scalable synthesis of 1 (JNJ-18038683) allowing the discovery team to select and advance a clin. candidate.