Recent advances in biotransformation of CNS and cardiovascular agents

Compound biotransformation is a very important research area for drug discovery and development. In this review, publications from the metabolism studies of ten compounds, seven CNS and three cardiovascular agents, from the Johnson & Johnson Corp. were reviewed. The seven CNS compounds are: three antipsychotic agents, mazapertine (arypiperazine analog), RWJ-46344 (arypiperidine analog) and risperidone (aryisoxazole-piperidine analog), one antidepressant, etoperidone (arypiperazine analog), one anxiolytic agent, fenobam (aryimidazole urea analog), one muscle relaxant, xilobam (pyrrolidinylidene urea analog), and one antiepileptic agent, topiramate (fructopyranose sulfamate analog). The three cardiovascular agents are: two arylalkylamine calcium channel blockers, bepridil and RWJ-26240, and one thioindolaminidine antianginal agent, RWJ-34130. Other antipsychotic and antidepressant agents with similar analogs (ziprasidone, trazodone and nefazodone) as well as other similar analogs of calcium channel blockers (verapamil) are discussed. In this article, excretion and metabolism (in vitro, in vivo) of compounds are reviewed from the CNS agents to the cardiovascular agents, including structures of parent compounds, their metabolites, metabolic pathways, and methods for the isolation, profiling, quantification and structural identification of unchanged compounds and metabolites. Pharmacological activities of parent compounds and their metabolites are also briefly discussed.