Discovery of a Series of 2-Phenyl-<i>N</i>-(2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)phenyl)acetamides as Novel Molecular Switches that Modulate Modes of K_v7.2 (KCNQ2) Channel Pharmacology: Identification of (<i>S</i>)-2-Phenyl-<i>N</i>-(2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)phenyl)butanamide (ML252) as a Potent, Brain Penetrant K_v7.2 Channel Inhibitor

Abstract

A potent and selective inhibitor of KCNQ2, (S)-5 (ML252, IC(50) = 69 nM), was discovered after a high-throughput screen of the MLPCN library was performed. SAR studies revealed a small structural change (ethyl group to hydrogen) caused a functional shift from antagonist to agonist activity (37, EC(50) = 170 nM), suggesting an interaction at a critical site for controlling gating of KCNQ2 channels.