Nonsense mutations promote premature translational termination and cause anywhere from 5-70% of the individual cases of most inherited diseases. Studies on nonsense-mediated cystic fibrosis have indicated that boosting specific protein synthesis from <1% to as little as 5% of normal levels may greatly reduce the severity or eliminate the principal manifestations of disease. To address the need for a drug capable of suppressing premature termination, we identified PTC124-a new chemical entity that selectively induces ribosomal readthrough of premature but not normal termination codons. PTC124 activity, optimized using nonsense-containing reporters, promoted dystrophin production in primary muscle cells from humans and mdx mice expressing dystrophin nonsense alleles, and rescued striated muscle function in mdx mice within 2-8 weeks of drug exposure. PTC124 was well tolerated in animals at plasma exposures substantially in excess of those required for nonsense suppression. The selectivity of PTC124 for premature termination codons, its well characterized activity profile, oral bioavailability and pharmacological properties indicate that this drug may have broad clinical potential for the treatment of a large group of genetic disorders with limited or no therapeutic options.

The discovery of BMS-605339 (35), a tripeptidic inhibitor of the NS3/4A enzyme, is described. This compound incorporates a cyclopropylacylsulfonamide moiety that was designed to improve the potency of carboxylic acid prototypes through the introduction of favorable nonbonding interactions within the S1' site of the protease. The identification of 35 was enabled through the optimization and balance of critical properties including potency and pharmacokinetics (PK). This was achieved through modulation of the P2* subsite of the inhibitor which identified the isoquinoline ring system as a key template for improving PK properties with further optimization achieved through functionalization. A methoxy moiety at the C6 position of this isoquinoline ring system proved to be optimal with respect to potency and PK, thus providing the clinical compound 35 which demonstrated antiviral activity in HCV-infected patients.

Objectives The hepatic cytochrome 2D6 (CYP2D6) is a saturable enzyme responsible for metabolism of approximately 25% of known pharmaceuticals. CYP interactions can alter the efficacy of prescribed medications. Hydrocodone is largely dependent on CYP2D6 metabolism for analgesia, ondansetron is inactivated by CYP2D6, and oxycodone analgesia is largely independent of CYP2D6. The objective was to determine if CYP2D6 medication co-ingestion decreases the effectiveness of hydrocodone. Methods This was a prospective observational study conducted in an academic U.S. emergency department (ED). Subjects were included if they had self-reported pain or nausea; and were excluded if they were unable to speak English, were less than 18 years of age, had liver or renal failure, or carried diagnoses of chronic pain or cyclic vomiting. Detailed drug ingestion histories for the preceding 48 hours prior to the ED visit were obtained. The patient's pain and nausea were quantified using a 100-millimeter visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline prior to drug administration and following doses of hydrocodone, oxycodone, or ondansetron. We used a mixed model with random subject effect to determine the interaction between CYP2D6 drug ingestion and study drug effectiveness. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to compare clinically significant VAS changes between CYP2D6 users and non-users. Results Two hundred fifty (49.8%) of the 502 subjects enrolled had taken at least one CYP2D6 substrate, inhibitor, or inducing pharmaceutical, supplement, or illicit drug in the 48 hours prior to ED presentation. CYP2D6-drug users were one third as likely to respond to hydrocodone (OR 0.33, 95% CI = 0.1 to 0.8), and more than three times as likely as non-users to respond to ondansetron (OR 3.4, 95% CI = 1.3 to 9.1). There was no significant difference in oxycodone effectiveness between CYP2D6 users and non-users (OR 0.53, 95% CI = 0.3 to 1.1). Conclusions CYP2D6 drug-drug interactions appear to change effectiveness of commonly prescribed drugs in the ED. Drug-drug interaction should be considered prior to prescribing CYP2D6 drugs.

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A new method is reported for the chirospecific preparation of optically pure 1-carboxy-7-azabicycloheptane amino acids for the generation of peptidomimetics as conformational probes. The method allows for the multigram preparation of these amino acid analogues through use of a thiolactam sulfide contraction and a transannular alkylation sequence as the key C-C bond-forming steps, starting from L-glutamic acid. The route provides access to two common intermediates, 7-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-1-carboxy-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]-3-heptane and (1S,4R)-7-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-1-carboxy-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]-3-heptanone tert-butyl ester, for elaboration to symmetrical and chiral amino acid homologues, respectively. Decarboxylation of the C-1 carboxy unit of the latter intermediate also demonstrated the applicability of the method for a short, chirospecific preparation of a (+)-epibatidine intermediate, (1S,4R)-7-(tert-butyloxycarbonyl)-1-carboxy-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]-3-heptanone.