Discovery Of A Potent And Orally Bioavailable Melatonin Receptor Agonist

To develop potent and orally bioavailable melatonin receptor (MT1 and MT2) agonists, a novel series of 5-6-5 tricyclic derivatives was designed, synthesized, and evaluated. The synthesized indeno[5,4-d][1,3]oxazole, cyclopenta[c]pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine, indeno[5,4-d][1,3]thiazole, and cyclopenta[e]indazole derivatives showed potent binding affinities for MT1/MT2 receptors. Further optimization of these derivatives based on their metabolic stability in human hepatic microsomes revealed that (S)-3b ((S)-N-[2-(2-methyl-7,8-dihydro-6H-indeno[5,4-d][1,3]oxazol-8-yl)ethyl]acetamide) was a potent MT1 and MT2 ligand (MT1, K-i = 0.031 nM; MT2, K-i = 0.070 nM) with good metabolic stability in human hepatic microsomes. Moreover, compound (S)-3b showed good BBB permeability in rats, and its in vivo pharmacological effects were confirmed by its sleep-promotion ability in cats.