An efficient alternative to the Ullmann ether synthesis of diaryl ethers, diaryl thioethers, and diarylamines involving the S(N)Ar addition of a phenol, thiophenol, or aniline to an appropriate aryl halide, mediated by potassium-fluoride alumina and 18-crown-6 in acetonitrile or DMSO, is described. Expansion of the reaction conditions to include DMSO as solvent has resulted in a far greater range of substitution patterns permitted on the electrophile. For example, it was found that electronically unfavorable 3-chlorobenzonitrile could be condensed with 3-methoxyphenol to form the corresponding diaryl ether in 66% yield, a combination not normally amenable to Ullmann coupling. Electron-withdrawing groups present on the electrophile may be as diverse as nitro, cyano, formyl, acetyl, ester, amide, and even aryl. The method features a simple reaction procedure that provides products in generally good to excellent purified yields.

High-throughput screening of a combinatorial library of diamidophenols yielded lead compounds with the ability to inhibit human factor Xa (fXa) at micromolar concentrations (e.g. compound 4, fXa apparent K(ass) = 0.64 x 10(6) L/mol). SAR studies in this novel structural series of fXa inhibitors showed that the phenolic hydroxyl group was not essential for activity. The best activity was found in substituted 1,2-dibenzamidobenzenes in which the phenyl group of one benzoyl group (A-ring) was substituted in the 4-position with relatively small lipophilic or polarizable groups such as methoxy, vinyl, or chloro and the phenyl group of the other benzoyl group (B-ring) was substituted in the 4-position with larger lipophilic groups such as tert-butyl or dimethylamino. The central phenyl ring (C-ring) tolerated a wide variety of substituents, but methoxy, methanesulfonamido, hydroxyl, and carboxyl substitution produced slightly higher levels of activity than other substituents when present in combination with favorable B-ring substitution. Methylation of the amide nitrogen atoms was found to greatly decrease activity. Compound 12 is the highest affinity fXa inhibitor in this group of compounds, having fXa apparent K(ass) = 25.5 x 10(6) L/mol, about 40x more active than the original lead. This lead series does not show potent inhibition of human thrombin. A model for the binding of these ligands to the fXa active site is proposed. The model is consistent with the observed SAR and can serve to guide future SAR studies.

Reversal of the A-ring amide link in 1,2-dibenzamidobenzene 1 (fXa K(ass) = 0.81 x 10(6) L/mol) led to a series of human factor Xa (hfXa) inhibitors based on N(2)-aroylanthranilamide 4. Expansion of the SAR around 4 showed that only small planar substituents could be accommodated in the A-ring for binding to the S1 site of hfXa. Bulky groups such as 4-isopropyl, 4-tert-butyl, and 4-dimethylamino were favored in the B-ring to interact with the S4 site of hfXa. The central (C) ring containing a 5-methanesulfonamido group yielded greater activity than carbamoyl groups. Combining the beneficial features from the B- and C-ring SAR, compound 55 represents the most potent hfXa inhibitor in the N(2)-aroylanthranilamide 4 series with hfXa K(ass) = 58 x 10(6) L/mol (K(i) = 11.5 nM).

The pharmacologic activity of leukotriene B< (LTB<) continues to generate intense research interest. LTB4 is known to stimulate degranulation, aggregation, chemotaxis, and chemokinesis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, as well as promote superoxide generation.1 The proinflammatory effects of this eicosanoid mediator may play a role in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases such as asthma,2 inflammatory bowel disease,3 psoriasis,4 and gout.1*'5 We recently disclosed the acetophenone/ xanthone LTB4 receptor antagonist LY282210 (compound 4, Chart I),6 which evolved from two separate series of compounds represented by LY255283 (1, acetophenone class)7 and LY223982/LY210073 (2/3, benzophenone/

A hypothetical model for receptor binding of leukotriene D4 (LTD4) was deduced from conformational analysis of LTD4 and from the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of known LTD4 receptor antagonists. A new structural series of LTD4 receptor antagonists exemplified by 5-[4-(4-phenylbutoxy)phenyl]-2-[4-(tetrazol-5-yl)butyl]-2H-t etrazole was designed in which a phenyltetrazole moiety was incorporated as a receptor binding equivalent of the triene unit of LTD4. A number of these phenyltetrazoles were prepared and found to possess LTD4 receptor antagonist activity. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this series is described.