The design and development of a series of highly selective pyrrolidine carboxamide 11β- HSD1 inhibitors are described. These compounds including PF-877423 demonstrated potent in vitro activity against both human and mouse 11β-HSD1 enzymes. In an in vivo assay, PF-877423 inhibited the conversion of cortisone to cortisol. Structure guided optimization effort yielded potent and stable 11β-HSD1 selective inhibitor 42.
[Lavrova, L. N.; Indulen, M. K.; Ryazantseva, G. M.; Korytnyi, V. S.; Yashunskii, V. G. Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal, 1990 , vol. 24, # 1 p. 35 - 39 Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, 1990 , vol. 24, # 1 p. 29 - 31]