Characterization of Binding and Inhibitory Properties of TAK-063, a Novel Phosphodiesterase 10A Inhibitor

Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibition is a novel and promising approach for the treatment of central nervous system disorders such as schizophrenia and Huntington’s disease. A novel PDE10A inhibitor, TAK-063 [1-[2-fluoro-4-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)phenyl]-5-methoxy-3-(1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-pyridazin-4(1H)-one] has shown high inhibitory activity and selectivity for human recombinant PDE10A2 in vitro; the half-maximal inhibitory concentration was 0.30 nM, and selectivity over other phosphodiesterases (PDEs) was more than 15000-fold. TAK-063 at 10 µM did not show more than 50% inhibition or stimulation of 91 enzymes or receptors except for PDEs. In vitro autoradiography (ARG) studies using rat brain sections revealed that [3H]TAK-063 selectively accumulated in the caudate putamen (CPu), nucleus accumbens (NAc), globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and striatonigral projection, where PDE10A is highly expressed. This [3H]TAK-063 accumulation was almost entirely blocked by an excess amount of MP-10, a PDE10A selective inhibitor, and the accumulation was not observed in brain slices of Pde10a-knockout mice. In rat brain sections, [3H]TAK-063 bound to a single high-affinity site with mean ± SEM dissociation constants of 7.2 ± 1.2 and 2.6 ± 0.5 nM for the CPu and NAc shell, respectively. Orally administered [14C]TAK-063 selectively accumulated in PDE10A expressing brain regions in an in vivo ARG study in rats. Striatal PDE10A occupancy by TAK-063 in vivo was measured using T-773 as a tracer and a dose of 0.88 mg/kg (p.o.) was calculated to produce 50% occupancy in rats. Translational studies with TAK-063 and other PDE10A inhibitors such as those presented here will help us better understand the pharmacological profile of this class of potential central nervous system drugs.