Revesz Laszlo, Blum Ernst, Di Padova Franco E, Buhl Thomas, Feifel Roland, Gram Hermann, Hiestand Peter, Manning Ute, Rucklin Gerard
Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Arthritis and Bone Metabolism, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2004 Jul 5;14(13):3601-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2004.03.111.
Benzoylpyridines and benzophenones were synthesized and evaluated in vitro as p38alpha inhibitors and in vivo in several models of rheumatoid arthritis. Oral activity was found to depend upon substitution: 1,1-dimethylpropynylamine substituted benzophenone 10b (IC50: 14 nM) and pyridinoyl substituted benzimidazole 17b (IC50: 21 nM) showed highest efficacy and selectivity with ED50s of 9.5 and 8.6 mg/kg p.o. in CIA.