Phenotypic Optimization of Urea-Thiophene Carboxamides To Yield Potent, Well Tolerated, and Orally Active Protective Agents against Aminoglycoside-Induced Hearing Loss.

ABSTRACT: Hearing loss is a major public health concern with no pharmaceutical intervention for hearing protection or restoration. Using zebrafish neuromast hair cells, a robust model for mammalian auditory and vestibular hair cells, we identified a urea-thiophene carboxamide, 1 (ORC-001), as protective against aminoglycoside antibiotic (AGA)-induced hair cell death. The 50% protection (HC50) concentration conferred by 1 is 3.2 ?M with protection against 200 ?M neomycin approaching 100%. Compound 1 was sufficiently safe and drug-like to validate otoprotection in an in vivo rat hearing loss model. We explored the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this compound series to improve otoprotective potency, improve pharmacokinetic properties and eliminate off-target activity. We present the optimization of 1 to yield 90 (ORC-13661). Compound 90 protects mechanosensory hair cells with HC50 of 120 nM and demonstrates 100% protection in the zebrafish assay and superior physiochemical, pharmacokinetic, and toxicologic properties, as well as complete in vivo protection in rats.

SUBMITTER: Chowdhury S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5889090 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature