Chemistry:Aticaprant

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Short description: Investigational antidepressant compound
Aticaprant
Aticaprant.svg
Clinical data
Other namesJNJ-67953964; CERC-501; LY-2456302
Routes of
administration
By mouth[1]
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability25%[1]
Elimination half-life30–40 hours[1]
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEMBL
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC26H27FN2O2
Molar mass418.512 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)

Aticaprant, also known by its developmental codes JNJ-67953964, CERC-501, and LY-2456302, is a κ-opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist which is under development for the treatment of major depressive disorder.[2][3][4] A regulatory application for approval of the medication is expected to be submitted by 2025.[2] Aticaprant is taken by mouth.[1]

Side effects of aticaprant include itching, among others.[4][5] Aticaprant acts as a selective antagonist of the KOR, the biological target of the endogenous opioid peptide dynorphin.[3] The medication has decent selectivity for the KOR over the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) and other targets, a relatively long half-life of 30 to 40 hours, and readily crosses the blood–brain barrier to produce central effects.[4][6]

Aticaprant was originally developed by Eli Lilly, was under development by Cerecor for a time, and is now under development by Janssen Pharmaceuticals.[2] As of July 2022, it is in phase 3 clinical trials for major depressive disorder.[2] Like other kappa opioid antagonists currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of major depression, its efficacy may be compromised by the countervailing activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in microglia within the CNS.[7]

Aticaprant was also under development for the treatment of alcoholism, cocaine use disorder, and smoking withdrawal, but development for these indications was discontinued.[2]

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Aticaprant is a potent, selective, short-acting (i.e., non-"inactivating") antagonist of the KOR (Ki = 0.81 nM vs. 24.0 nM and 155 nM for the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) and δ-opioid receptor (DOR), respectively; approximately 30-fold selectivity for the KOR).[8][9][10] The drug has been found to dose-dependently block fentanyl-induced miosis at 25 mg and 60 mg in humans (with minimal to no blockade at doses of 4 to 10 mg), suggesting that the drug significantly occupies and antagonizes the MOR at a dose of at least 25 mg but not of 10 mg or less.[10] However, a more recent study assessing neuroendocrine effects of the drug in normal volunteers and subjects with a history of cocaine dependence reported observations consistent with modest MOR antagonism at the 10 mg dose.[11] In animal models of depression, aticaprant has been found to have potent synergistic efficacy in combination with other antidepressants such as citalopram and imipramine.[12]

Positron emission tomography imaging revealed that brain KORs were almost completely saturated by the drug 2.5 hours following a single dose of 10 mg, which supported the 4 mg to 25 mg dosages that aticaprant is being explored at in clinical trials.[13][14] Occupancy was 35% for a 0.5 mg dose and 94% for a 10 mg dose.[15][14] At 24 hours post-dose, receptor occupancy was 19% for 0.5 mg and 82% for 25 mg.[15][14] No serious side effects were observed, and all side effects seen were mild to moderate and were not thought to be due to aticaprant.[14]

Pharmacokinetics

The oral bioavailability of aticaprant is 25%.[1] The drug is rapidly absorbed, with maximal concentrations occurring 1 to 2 hours after administration.[1] It has an elimination half-life of 30 to 40 hours in healthy subjects.[1] The circulating levels of aticaprant increase proportionally with increasing doses.[1] Steady-state concentrations are reached after 6 to 8 days of once-daily dosing.[1] Aticaprant has been shown to reproducibly penetrate the blood–brain barrier.[13][14]

History

Aticaprant was originally developed by Eli Lilly under the code name LY-2456302.[2] It first appeared in the scientific literature in 2010 or 2011.[16][17] The compound was first patented in 2009.[18]

In February 2015, Cerecor Inc. announced that they had acquired the rights from Eli Lilly to develop and commercialize LY-2456302 (under the new developmental code CERC-501).[19]

As of 2016, aticaprant has reached phase II clinical trials as an augmentation to antidepressant therapy for treatment-resistant depression.[20][12] A phase II study of aticaprant in heavy smokers was commenced in early 2016 and results of the study were expected before the end of 2016.[14] Aticaprant failed to meet its main endpoint for nicotine withdrawal in the study.[21]

In August 2017, it was announced that Cerecor had sold its rights to aticaprant to Janssen Pharmaceuticals.[22][21] Janssen was also experimenting with esketamine for the treatment of depression as of 2017.[21]

Research

In addition to major depressive disorder, aticaprant was under development for the treatment of alcoholism, cocaine use disorder, and smoking withdrawal.[2] However, development for these indications was discontinued.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Major Depressive Disorder and Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonists". Translational Perioperative and Pain Medicine 1 (2): 4–16. 2016. PMID 27213169. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "CERC 501". Adis Insight. 30 January 2018. http://adisinsight.springer.com/drugs/800032395. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Liu-Chen, Lee-Yuan; Inan, Saadet, eds (2022). "Kappa Opioid Receptors in the Pathology and Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder". The Kappa Opioid Receptor. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. 271. pp. 493–524. doi:10.1007/164_2020_432. ISBN 978-3-030-89073-5. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Liu-Chen, Lee-Yuan; Inan, Saadet, eds (2022). "Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonists as Potential Therapeutics for Mood and Substance Use Disorders". The Kappa Opioid Receptor. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. 271. pp. 473–491. doi:10.1007/164_2020_401. ISBN 978-3-030-89073-5. 
  5. "A randomized proof-of-mechanism trial applying the 'fast-fail' approach to evaluating κ-opioid antagonism as a treatment for anhedonia". Nature Medicine 26 (5): 760–768. May 2020. doi:10.1038/s41591-020-0806-7. PMID 32231295. 
  6. "Investigational drugs for treating major depressive disorder". Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs 26 (1): 9–24. January 2017. doi:10.1080/13543784.2017.1267727. PMID 27960559. 
  7. "Blockade of kappa-opioid receptors amplifies microglia-mediated inflammatory responses". Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior 212: 173301. January 2022. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173301. PMID 34826432. 
  8. "LY2456302 is a novel, potent, orally-bioavailable small molecule kappa-selective antagonist with activity in animal models predictive of efficacy in mood and addictive disorders". Neuropharmacology 77: 131–144. February 2014. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.09.021. PMID 24071566. 
  9. "Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic evaluation of single- and multiple-ascending doses of a novel kappa opioid receptor antagonist LY2456302 and drug interaction with ethanol in healthy subjects". Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 54 (9): 968–978. September 2014. doi:10.1002/jcph.286. PMID 24619932. 
  10. 10.0 10.1 "Determining pharmacological selectivity of the kappa opioid receptor antagonist LY2456302 using pupillometry as a translational biomarker in rat and human". The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 18 (2): pyu036. October 2014. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyu036. PMID 25637376. 
  11. "Repeated Administration of Opra Kappa (LY2456302), a Novel, Short-Acting, Selective KOP-r Antagonist, in Persons with and without Cocaine Dependence". Neuropsychopharmacology 43 (4): 928. March 2018. doi:10.1038/npp.2017.245. PMID 29422497. 
  12. 12.0 12.1 "Antagonists of the kappa opioid receptor". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 24 (9): 2021–2032. May 2014. doi:10.1016/j.bmcl.2014.03.040. PMID 24690494. 
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Publication Reports Human Brain Penetration and Target Engagement of Cerecor's Oral Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonist, CERC-501". BusinessWire. 11 December 2015. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151211005042/en/Publication-Reports-Human-Brain-Penetration-Target-Engagement. 
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 "Receptor Occupancy of the κ-Opioid Antagonist LY2456302 Measured with Positron Emission Tomography and the Novel Radiotracer 11C-LY2795050". The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 356 (2): 260–266. February 2016. doi:10.1124/jpet.115.229278. PMID 26628406. 
  15. 15.0 15.1 Liu-Chen, Lee-Yuan; Inan, Saadet, eds (August 2021). "Imaging Kappa Opioid Receptors in the Living Brain with Positron Emission Tomography". The Kappa Opioid Receptor. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. 271. pp. 547–577. doi:10.1007/164_2021_498. ISBN 978-3-030-89073-5. 
  16. "Synthesis and evaluation of 11C-LY2795050 as a κ-opioid receptor antagonist radiotracer for PET imaging". Journal of Nuclear Medicine 54 (3): 455–463. March 2013. doi:10.2967/jnumed.112.109512. PMID 23353688. 
  17. "Discovery of aminobenzyloxyarylamides as κ opioid receptor selective antagonists: application to preclinical development of a κ opioid receptor antagonist receptor occupancy tracer". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 54 (23): 8000–8012. December 2011. doi:10.1021/jm200789r. PMID 21958337. 
  18. "WO2009094260A1 - Kappa selective opioid receptor antagonist". 13 January 2009. https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2009094260A1/en. 
  19. "Cerecor Bolsters Clinical Pipeline with Acquisition of Phase 2-ready Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonist from Eli Lilly and Company". February 20, 2015. http://cerecor.com/news-publications/news-publications-press-release-2015-02-20.php. 
  20. Drug Discovery for Psychiatric Disorders. Royal Society of Chemistry. 2012. pp. 314–317. ISBN 978-1-84973-365-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=J4Mq3Lm1R7kC&pg=PA314. 
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Bushey, Ryan (August 2017). "J&J Adds New Depression Drug to Portfolio". Drug Discovery and Development Magazine. https://www.dddmag.com/article/2017/08/j-j-adds-new-depression-drug-portfolio. 
  22. "Cerecor Announces Divestiture of CERC-501 to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.". Marketwired. August 2017. http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Cerecor-Announces-Divestiture-of-CERC-501-to-Janssen-Pharmaceuticals-Inc-1002255296. 

Further reading

External links