Discovery of DS28120313 as a potent orally active hepcidin production inhibitor: Design and optimization of novel 4,6-disubstituted indazole derivatives

Abstract Hepcidin has emerged as the central regulatory molecule in systemic iron homeostasis, and its inhibition could be a favorable strategy for treating anemia of chronic disease (ACD). Here, we report the design, synthesis and structure–activity relationships (SAR) of a series of 4,6-disubstituted indazole compounds as hepcidin production inhibitors. The optimization study of multi-kinase inhibitor 1 led to the design of a potent and bioavailable hepcidin production inhibitor, 32 (DS28120313), which showed serum hepcidin-lowering effects in an interleukin-6-induced acute inflammatory mouse model.