Quantitative Assessment of the Impact of Fluorine Substitution on P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) Mediated Efflux, Permeability, Lipophilicity, and Metabolic Stability

J Med Chem. 2016 Jun 9;59(11):5284-96. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00027. Epub 2016 May 26.

Abstract

Strategic replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms with fluorine atom(s) is a common tactic to improve potency at a given target and/or to modulate parameters such as metabolic stability and pKa. Molecular weight (MW) is a key parameter in design, and incorporation of fluorine is associated with a disproportionate increase in MW considering the van der Waals radius of fluorine versus hydrogen. Herein we examine a large compound data set to understand the effect of introducing fluorine on the risk of encountering P-glycoprotein mediated efflux (as measured by MDR efflux ratio), passive permeability, lipophilicity, and metabolic stability. Statistical modeling of the MDR ER data demonstrated that an increase in MW as a result of introducing fluorine atoms does not lead to higher risk of P-gp mediated efflux. Fluorine-corrected molecular weight (MWFC), where the molecular weight of fluorine has been subtracted, was found to be a more relevant descriptor.

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / chemistry*
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / metabolism*
  • Fluorine / chemistry*
  • Fluorine / metabolism*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Molecular Structure
  • Molecular Weight
  • Permeability

Substances

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1
  • Fluorine