(Carbonyl)oxyalkyl linker-based amino acid prodrugs of the HIV-1 protease inhibitor atazanavir that enhance oral bioavailability and plasma trough concentration.

We describe the design, synthesis and pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluation of a series of amino acid-based prodrugs of the HIV-1 protease inhibitor atazanavir (1) derivatized on the pharmacophoric secondary alcohol using a (carbonyl)oxyalkyl linker. Prodrugs of 1 incorporating simple (carbonyl)oxyalkyl-based linkers and a primary amine in the promoiety were found to exhibit low chemical stability. However, chemical stability was improved by modifying the primary amine moiety to a tertiary amine, resulting in a 2-fold enhancement of exposure in rats following oral dosing compared to dosing of the parent drug 1. Further refinement of the linker resulted in the discovery of 22 as a prodrug that delivered the parent 1 to rat plasma with a 5-fold higher AUC and 67-fold higher C ₂₄ when compared to oral administration of the parent drug. The PK profile of 22 indicated that plasma levels of this prodrug were higher than that of the parent, providing a more sustained release of 1 in vivo.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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