Indazole-6-phenyl­cyclopropyl­carboxylic Acids as Selective GPR120 Agonists with in Vivo Efficacy

GPR120 agonists have therapeutic potential for the treatment of diabetes, but few selective agonists have been reported. We identified an indazole-6-phenyl­cyclopropyl­carboxylic acid series of GPR120 agonists and conducted SAR studies to optimize GPR120 potency. Furthermore, we identified a (<i>S</i>,<i>S</i>)-cyclopropyl­carboxylic acid structural motif which gave selectivity against GPR40. Good oral exposure was obtained with some compounds displaying unexpected high CNS penetration. Increased MDCK efflux was utilized to identify compounds such as <b>33</b> with lower CNS penetration, and activity in oral glucose tolerance studies was demonstrated. Differential activity was observed in GPR120 null and wild-type mice indicating that this effect operates through a mechanism involving GPR120 agonism

Design and Optimization of Pyrazinecarboxamide-Based Inhibitors of Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) Leading to a Clinical Candidate Dimethylpyrazinecarboxamide Phenylcyclohexylacetic Acid (AZD7687)

A new series of pyrazinecarboxamide DGAT1 inhibitors was designed to address the need for a candidate drug with good potency, selectivity, and physical and DMPK properties combined with a low predicted dose in man. Rational design and optimization of this series led to the discovery of compound <b>30</b> (AZD7687), which met the project objectives for potency, selectivity, in particular over ACAT1, solubility, and preclinical PK profiles. This compound showed the anticipated excellent pharmacokinetic properties in human volunteers