Abstract A series of pyridyl amide/sulfonamide inhibitors of 11β-HSD-1 were modified to incorporate a novel 1, 2, 4-triazolopyridine scaffold. Optimization of substituents at the 3 and 8 position of the TZP core, with a special focus on enhancing metabolic stability, resulted in the identification of compound 38 as a potent and metabolically stable inhibitor of the enzyme.