The discovery that novel naphtho[1,2-b]furan-2-carboxamides containing linked piperidinylphenylacetamide groups serve as melanin concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCH-R1) antagonists is described. An extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) study, probing members of this family that contain a variety of aryl and heteroaryl groups at C-5 of the naphtho[1,2-b]furan-2-carboxamide skeleton and having different chain linker lengths, led to the identification of the 5-(4-pyridinyl) substituted analog 10b as a highly potent MCH-R1 antagonist with an IC 50 value of 3 nM. This substance also displays good metabolic stability and it does not significantly inhibit cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes. However, 10b has unacceptable oral bioavailability.Key words melanin concentrating hormone (MCH); MCH-receptor 1 antagonist; obesity; naphtho[1,2-b]-furan-2-carboxamide Obesity, occurring because of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, is rapidly increasing worldwide and has become nearly a global epidemic. 1) Moreover, obesity is a major risk factor associated with a number of severe diseases, including type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.2) Many biological targets for treating obesity have been evaluated, including prevention of fat absorption, modulation of fat metabolism or storage, increase of thermogenesis, and modulation of central satiety and hunger regulating systems.3,4) Among several centrally acting targets, the melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) has received great attention as a target for obesity treatment. MCH, an orexigenic cyclic 19-amino acid polypeptide, is expressed predominantly in the lateral hypothalamus of the brain and is known to play a physiological role in both the regulation of feeding and energy homeostasis. 5,6) The effects of this peptide are mediated through its interaction with two types of G protein-coupled receptors called MCH-receptor 1 and 2 (MCH-R1 and -R2). 7,8) While the exact biological functions of MCH-R2 are still unknown, those of MCH-R1 have been demonstrated in previous genetic and pharmacological studies. Genetically altered mice that lack the gene encoding MCH-R1 maintain elevated metabolic rates and remain lean despite hyperphagia on a normal diet. 9) Specifically, the results of these efforts have shown that MCH-R1 plays an essential role in the control of food intake and body weight.9-12) As a consequence of these properties, MCH-R1 is considered to be one of the most promising targets for treating obesity, though it still remains to be seen whether this translates to safe clinical efficacy in humans.Numerous MCH-R1 antagonists have been found to have anti-obesity efficacy in diet-induced obesity (DIO) animal models. [13][14][15][16] In the last decade, extensive research by numerous pharmaceutical companies and academic groups have led to the identification of a variety of pharmacophore derivatives of MCH-R1 antagonists as potential anti-obesity agents. To date, few candidates including GW856464, 17,18) AMG-07...