Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of novel 2-benzamide-4-(6-oxy-N-methyl-1-naphthamide)-pyridine derivatives as potent fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors

Abstract

Starting from the phase II clinical FGFR inhibitor lucitanib (2), we conducted a medicinal chemistry approach by opening the central quinoline skeleton coupled with a scaffold hopping process thus leading to a series of novel 2-benzamide-4-(6-oxy-N-methyl-1-naphthamide)-pyridine derivatives. Compound 25a was identified to show selective and equally high potency against FGFR1/2 and VEGFR2 with IC₅₀ values less than 5.0 nM. Significant antiproliferative effects on both FGFR1/2 and VEGFR2 aberrant cancer cells were observed. In the SNU-16 xenograft model, compound 25a showed tumor growth inhibition rates of 25.0% and 81.0% at doses of 10 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, respectively, with 5% and 10%body weight loss. In view of the synergistic potential of FGFs and VEGFs in tumor angiogenesis observed in preclinical studies, the FGFR/VEGFR2 dual inhibitor 25a may achieve better clinical benefits.

Keywords: FGFR; Lucitanib; Synergistic effect; Tumor growth inhibition; VEGFR.