SAR Based Optimization of a 4-Quinoline Carboxylic Acid Analog with Potent Anti-Viral Activity

It is established that drugs targeting viral proteins are at risk of generating resistant strains. However, drugs targeting host factors can potentially avoid this problem. Herein we report structure-activity relationship studies leading to the discovery of a very potent lead compound 6-fluoro-2-(5-isopropyl-2-methyl-4-phenoxyphenyl)quinoline-4-carboxylic acid (C44) that inhibits human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) with an IC₅₀ of 1 nM, and viral replication of VSV and WSN-Influenza with an EC₅₀ of 2 nM and 41 nM. We also solved the X-ray structure of human DHODH bound to C44, providing structural insight into the potent inhibition of biaryl ether analogs of brequinar.