Discovery of 2-(Cyclopentylamino)thieno[3,2- <i>d</i> ]pyrimidin-4(3 <i>H</i> )-one Derivatives as a New Series of Potent Phosphodiesterase 7 Inhibitors

Abstract

The discovery of a new series of potent phosphodiesterase 7 (PDE7) inhibitors is described. Novel thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one hit compounds were identified from our chemical library. Preliminary modifications of the hit compounds were performed, resulting in the discovery of a fragment-sized compound (10) with highly improved ligand efficiency. Compound design was guided by structure-activity relationships and computational modeling. The 6-substituted derivatives of the thienopyrimidinone showed diminished activity and enzyme selectivity. However, synthesis of the 7-substituted derivatives resulted in the discovery of 28e, a desirable lead compound that selectively inhibits PDE7 with single-digit nanomolar potency while displaying potent cellular efficacy.