Discovery of Potent, Orally Available Vanilloid Receptor-1 Antagonists. Structure−Activity Relationship of N-Aryl Cinnamides

The vanilloid receptor-1 (TRPV1 or VR1) is a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of ion channels and plays a role in regulating the function of sensory nerves. A growing body of evidence demonstrates the therapeutic potential of TRPV1 modulators, particularly in the management of pain. As a result of our screening efforts, we identified (E)-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-N-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)acrylamide (1), an antagonist that blocks the capsaicin-induced and pH-induced uptake of 45Ca2+ in TRPV1-expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells with IC50 values of 17 ± 5 and 150 ± 80 nM, respectively. In this report, we describe the synthesis and structure−activity relationship of a series of N-aryl cinnamides, the most potent of which (49a and 49b) exhibit good oral bioavailability in rats (Foral = 39% and 17%, respectively).