Replacement of a secondary amide with a piperidine or azetidine moiety in a series of CCR5 antagonists led to the discovery of compounds with increased intrinsic permeability. This effort led to the identification of a potent CCR5 antagonist which exhibited an improved in vivo pharmacokinetic profile.
Evaluation of amide replacements in CCR5 antagonists as a means to increase intrinsic permeability. Part 2: SAR optimization and pharmacokinetic profile of a homologous azacyle series.