Discovery of Potent and Orally Effective Dual Janus Kinase 2/FLT3 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and structure–activity relationships of a series of unique 4-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-pyrimidin-2-amine derivatives that selectively inhibit Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and FLT3 kinases. These screening cascades revealed that 18e was a preferred compound, with IC50 values of 0.7 and 4 nM for JAK2 and FLT3, respectively. Moreover, 18e was a potent JAK2 inhibitor with 37-fold and 56-fold selectivity over JAK1 and JAK3, respectively, and possessed an excellent selectivity profile over the other 100 representative kinases. In a series of cytokine-stimulated cell-based assays, 18e exhibited a higher JAK2 selectivity over other JAK isoforms. The oral administration of 60 mg/kg of 18e could significantly inhibit tumor growth, with a tumor growth inhibition rate of 93 and 85% in MV4-11 and SET-2 xenograft models, respectively. Additionally, 18e showed an excellent bioavailability (F = 58%), a suitable half-life time (T1/2 = 4.1 h), a satisfactory metabolic stability, and a weak CYP3A4 inhibitory activity, suggesting that 18e might be a potential drug candidate for JAK2-driven myeloproliferative neoplasms and FLT3-internal tandem duplication-driven acute myelogenous leukemia.