SAR Exploration Guided by LE and Fsp(3): Discovery of a Selective and Orally Efficacious RORγ Inhibitor

ACS Med Chem Lett. 2015 Nov 4;7(1):23-7. doi: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5b00253. eCollection 2016 Jan 14.

Abstract

A novel series of RORγ inhibitors was identified starting with the HTS hit 1. After SAR investigation based on a prospective consideration of two drug-likeness metrics, ligand efficiency (LE) and fraction of sp(3) carbon atoms (Fsp(3)), significant improvement of metabolic stability as well as reduction of CYP inhibition was observed, which finally led to discovery of a selective and orally efficacious RORγ inhibitor 3z.

Keywords: RORγ; Th17; fraction of sp3 carbon atoms (Fsp3); immunological diseases; ligand efficiency (LE); nuclear receptor.