Structure-based drug design was used to guide the optimization of a series of selective BTK inhibitors as potential treatments for Rheumatoid arthritis. Highlights include the introduction of a benzyl alcohol group and a fluorine substitution, each of which resulted in over 10-fold increase in activity. Concurrent optimization of drug-like properties led to compound 1 (RN486) ( J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2012 , 341 , 90 ), which was selected for advanced preclinical characterization based on its favorable properties.

The development of a new series of p38α inhibitors resulted in the identification of two clinical candidates, one of which was advanced into a phase 2 clinical study for rheumatoid arthritis. The original lead, an lck inhibitor that also potently inhibited p38α, was a screening hit from our kinase inhibitor library. This manuscript describes the optimization of the lead to p38-selective examples with good pharmacokinetic properties.

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Whole cells and cell extracts of Pseudomonas putida grown in a medium containing ammonium mandelate have the capacity to produce the acyloin compound 2-hydroxypropiophenone when incubated with benzoylformate and acetaldehyde. Benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol were formed as reaction by-products. The enantiomeric excess of the 2-hydroxypropiophenone product was found to be 91 to 92%. The absolute configuration of the enzymatically prepared product at the carbinol carbon was found to be S. The thiamine PP1-linked enzyme benzoylformate decarboxylase, purified to give a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was shown to be responsible for the catalysis of this novel condensation reaction.

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