Development of morphine analogue

1. Development of morphine analogue The Opium Analgesics Variation of subtituen Drug extension Simplification Rigdification

2. History of opium we are now going look in detail at one of the oldest fields in medicinal chemistry. It is important to appreciate that the opiates are not the only compounds which are of use in the relief of pain and that there are several other classes of compounds including aspirin, which combat pain. The opiates have proved ideal for the treatment of 'deep' chronic pain and work in the central nervous system (CNS).

3. To be precise, we should really only use the term for those natural compounds which have been extracted from opium- the sticky exudates obtained from the poppy (papaversomniferum). • The term alkaloids refers to a natural product which contain a nitrogen atom and is therefore basic in character. • These compounds provide a vast ‘library’ of biologically active compounds which can be used as lead compounds is many possible fields of medicinal chemistry. However, we are only interested at present in the alkaloids derived from opium.

4. The use of opium was recorded in China over 2000 years go and was known in Mesopotamia before that • Because of opium’s properties, the Greeks dedicated the opium poppy to Thanatos ( the God of death), Hypnos ( The God of Sleep) and Morpheus ( The God of dreams). Later physicians prescribed opium for a whole range of afflictions, including chronic headache, vertigo, epilepsy, asthma, colic, fevers, dropsies, melancholy, and’ troubles to which women subject’.

5. opium use in medicine is quoted in a 12th century prescription: “take opium, mandragora and henbane in equal parts and mix with water. When you want to saw or cut a man, dip a rag in this and put it to his nostrils. He will sleep so deep that you may do what you wish. • Opium was first marketed in Britanian by Thomas Dover, a one time irate who had taken up medicine • Another popular remedy of the day was ‘Godfrey’s cordial’ which contained opium, molasses, and sassafras.

6. Doctors started that stopping the drug after long-term used led to ‘great and intolerable distresses, anxieties and depression of the spirit…..These were the first reports of addiction and withdrawal symptoms. • Its has to be appreciated that in this days opium and the opium trade were considered to be as legitimated as tobacco or tea, and that this view continued right up to the twentieth century. Indeed, during the nineteenth century the opium trade led directly to a war between the United Kingdom and China

7. During 19th century, China was ruled by an elite class who considered all foreigners as nothing better than barbarians and wanted nothing to do with them • Up until the early 17th century, China had grown its own opium for use as an ingredient in cke and as a medicine but strangely enough, it was introduction of tobacco which changed all this. Tobacco was discovered in the 15th century and sailor introduced the habit in to far east

8. However, because of china embargo most of this had to be smuggled in via the port of canton by British and American merchants. • Eventually, the Chinese authorities decided to act. They seized and burnt a shipload of opium, then closed the port f Canton to the British . The British traders were outraged and appealed to lord Palmerston, the British foreign secretary. Relation between the two counties steadily deteriorated and led to the opium Wars of 1839-42. China was quickly defeated and was forced to lease Hong Kong to Britain as a trading port. They were also forced to accept the principle of free trade and to pay reparations of 21 million pounds

9. In the mid 19th century, opium was smoked in much the same way as cigarettes are today, and opium dens were as much a part of London society as coffee shop. These dens were used by many of te romantic authors of the day, including Thomas de Quincy, Edgar Allan Poe, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. De Quincy even wrote a book recording his opium experiences around 4 pints of laudanum a week when he wrote The Rime of The Ancient Mariner. A later poem called Dejection, may have been inspired by his experience of withdrawal symptoms.

10. Towards the end of the 19th century, doubts were beginning to grow about the long term effects of opium and its addictive properties • Indeed, in 1882 a parliamentary report started, ‘if Indian opium was stopped at once it would be a very frightful calamity indeed. I should say that one third of the adult population of China would die for want of opium. Never theless, doubts persisted and a motion was put forward in parliament in1893 stating that the ‘opium trade was morally indefensible’. However, the motion was heavily defeated.

11. It wasn’t until Chinese immigrants introduced opium on a large scale into the USA, Australia, and South America that governments really cracked down on the trade. In 1909, the International Opium Commission was set up and, by 1914, 34 nations had agreed to curb opium production and trade. By 1924, 62 countries had signed up and the league of Nations took over the role of control, requiring countries to limit the use of narcotic drugs to medicine alone. Unfortunately , many farmer in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, and the golden triangle (the border of Burma, Thailand, and Laos) depended on the opium trade for survival, an as a result the trade went underground and has continued to his day.

12. ISOLATION OF MORPHIN • Opium contain a complex mixture of almost 25 alkaloids. the principle alkaloid in the mixture and the one responsible for analgesic activity, is morphine, named after the ancient god of sleep-Morpheus Although pure morphine was isolated in 1803, it was not until 1833 that chemist at Macfarlane & Co. (now Macfarlane-Smith) in Edinburgh were able to isolated and purify it on a commercial scale. However , since morphine was poorly absorbed orally, it was little used in medicine until the directly into the blood supply.

13. Morphine was then found to be a particularly good analgesic and sedative, and was far more effective than crude opium. But there was also the price to be paid. Morphine was used during the American Civil war (1861-65) and the Franco-Prussian war. • At this stage, it is worth pointing out that all drugs have side-effects of one sort or another

14. The development of narcotic analgesics is good example of the traditional approach to medicinal chemistry and provides good examples of the various strategies which can be employed in dug development We can identify several stage: • Stage 1 Recognition that natural plant or help (opium from the poppy) has a pharmacological action. • Stage 2 Extraction and identification of the active principle (morphine)

15. Stage 3 Synthetic studies (full and partial synthetics) • Stage 4 Structure activity relationship-the synthetics of analogues to see which part of the molecule are important to biological activity. • Stage 5 Drug development – the synthetic of analogues to try and improve activity or reduce side-effects. • Stage 6 Theories on the analgesic receptors. Synthesis of analogues to test theories.

16. Stage 5 and 6 are the most challenging and rewarding part of the procedure as far as the medicinal chemist is concerned, since the possibility exists of improving on what nature has provided. In this way, the chemist hope to again a better understanding of the biological process involved, which in turn suggests further possibilities for new drugs.

17. By 19th century standards, morphine was an extremely complex molecule and provided a huge challenge to chemists By 1881, the functional groups on morphine had been identified, but it took many more years to establish the full structure. In those day the only way to find the structure of a complicated molecule was to break it down into simpler fragments which were already known and could be identified

18. A full synthesis of morphine was achieved in 1952 break it down into simpler fragments which were already known and could be identified. The way to find the structure of a complicated molecule synthesize the structure

19. Morphine is the active principle of opium and is still one of the most effective painkillers available to medicine. What is morphine????

20. Morphine…. Unfortunately, it has a large number of side-effects which include the following: Depression of the respiratory centre, constipation, excitation, euphoria, nausea, pupil constriction, tolerance,dependence. It is especially good for treating dull, constant pain rather than sharp, periodic pain It acts in the brain and appears to work by elevating the pain threshold, thus decreasing the brain’s awareness of pain. The dangerous side-effects of morphine are those of tolerance and dependence, allied with the effects morphine can have on breathing. In fact, the most common cause of deathfrom a morphine overdose is by suffocation.

21. THE STRUCTURE OF MORPHINE The molecule contains five rings, labeled A-E, and has a pronounced T shape It is basic because of the tertiary amino group, but it also contains a phenolic group, an alcohol group, an aromatic ring, an ether bridge,and a double bond.

22. The fenolic Oh Codeine is the methyl ether of morphine and is also present in opium. It is used for treating moderate pain,coughs,anddiarrhoea. If codeine is administeres to patients, its analgesic effect is 20% that of morphine- much better than expected. Why is this so? The answer lies in the fact that codeine can be metabolized in the liver . The methyl ether is removed to give the free phenolic group. Thus,codeine can be viewed as a prodrug for morphine.

23. The-6 alcohol • The result in fig 17.4 show that masking or the complete loss of the alcohol group does not decrease analgesic activity . • In this case, the morphine analogues shown are able to reach the analgesic receptor far more efficiently than morphine itself. • This is because the analgesic receptors are located in the brain and, to reach the brain, the drugs have to cross a barrier called the blood-brain barrier. • Since the barrier is fatty, highly polar compounds are prevented from crossing. Thus, the more polar groups a molecule has, the more difficulty it has in reaching the brain.

24. The-6 alcohol Morphine has three polar groups (phenol,alcohol,and an amine), whereas the analogues above have either lost the polar alcohol group or have it masked by an alkyl or acyl group. They therefore enter the brain more easily and accumulate at the receptor sites in greater concentrations; hence, the better analgesic activity.

25. The comparison of morphine, 6 acetylmorphine, and diamorphine The most active (and the most dangerous) compound of the three is 6-acetylmorphine, which is four times more active than morphine. Heroin is also more active than morphine by a factor of two, but it less active than 6-acetylmorphine. 6-Acetylmorphine, as we have seen already, is less polar than morphine and will enter the brain more quickly and in greater concentrations. Heroin and 6-acetylmorphine are both more potent analgesics than morphine. Unfortunately, they also have greater side-effects and have severe tolerance and dependence characteristics.

26. The double bond at 7-8 • Several analogues, including dihydromorphine have shown that the double bond is not necessary for analgesic activity. • The N-methyl group • The N-oxide and N-methyl quaternary salts of morphine are both inactive, no analgesic is observed, since a charged molecule has very little chance of crossing the blood-brain barier. • If these same compound are injected directly into the brain, a totally different result is obtained and both these compounds are found to have similar analgesic activity to morphine. • The replacement of the NMe group with NH reduces activity but does not eliminate it. • The fact that significant activity is retained shows that the methyl substituent is not essensial to activity. • However, the nitrogen itself is crucial. If it is removed completely, all analgesic activity is lost. To conclude, the nitrogen atom is essential to analgesic activity and interacts with the analgesic receptor in the ionized form.

27. The aromatic ring The aromatic ring is essential. Compounds lacking it show no analgesic activity. The ether bridge As we shall see later, the ether bridge is not required for analgesic activity. Morphine is asymmetric molecule containing several symmetric centres, and exist naturally as a single enantiomer. We have identified that there are at least three important interactions involving the phenol, the aromatic ring, and the amine on morphine. The receptor has complementary binding group placed in such a way that they can interact with all three group. To summarize, the important functional groups for analgesic activity in morphine are shown.

28. Variation of subtituen • A series of alkyl chain on the phenolic group give compounds which are inactive or poorly active • Phenol group must be free for analgesic activity • The removal of N-methyl group to give normorphine allows a series of alkyl chain to be added to the basic centre

29. Drug Extension • Strategy by which the molecule to extended by the addition of extra binding group • The aim is to probe for further binding region which might be available in the receptor’s binding site and improve the interaction between drug and receptor (fig 17.11)

30. Fig 17.11 There are four important binding regions in the binding site and morphine only uses three of them Search for further binding region for that fourth binding interaction would be productive because morphine can act as analgesic and morphine able to interact with painkilling receptor in the body

31. The result from the alkylation of morphine • As the alkyl group is increased in size a methyl to butyl group, the activity drops to zero • With a large group such as a pentyl a hexyl group, activity recover slightly • When a phenethyl group is attached, the activity increases 14-fold, a strong indication that a hydrophobic binding region has been located which interacts favourably with the new aromatic ring

32. Varying subtituen on the nitrogen atom Naloxone and naltrexone have no analgesic activity but these molecule can act as antagonists to morphine. They have bound to the receptor and they block morphine from binding, morphine can no longer act as an analgesic. The fact that morphine is blocked from all its receptor means that none of its side-effects are produced either and it is the bocking of these effect which make antagonist extremely useful.

33. Naltrexone Naltrexone is eight times more active then naloxone as an antagonist and is given to drung addicts who have been weaned off morphine or heroin.

34. Nalorphine Nalorphine is the antagonist displaced morphine from the receptor and binds more strongly, this can prevent from an overdose of morphine. There are no analgesic activity should be observed. However, a very weak analgesic activity is observed and this analgesia appears to be free of the undesired side effect. This was the first sign that a non-addictive, safe analgesic might be possible. Unfortunately, nalorphine has hallucinogenic side-effect resulting from the activation of a non analgesic receptor and is therefore unsuitable as an analgesic

35. SIMPLIFICATION OR DRUG DISSECTION • Trere are five ring present in the structureof morphine • The presence of those ring can be altered • Now, we will learn how necessary the complete carbon sceleton

36. Removing Ring E • Removing Ring E leads to a complete loss of activity • This result emphasizes the importance of the basic N to analgesic activity

37. Removing Ring D • Removing the oxygen bridge give a series of compounds called the morphinas which have useful analgesic activity • N-Methyl morphinas has only 20% as active as morphine because the phenolic is missing • Levorphanol five times more active than morphine although the side-effects are increase to. • Levorphanol can be taken orally and lasts more longer in the body because it not metabolized in the liver • The miror image og levorphanol (dextrophan) has insignificant analgesic activity

38. Adding an allyl substituent on the nitrogen gives antagonist • Adding a phenethyl group to the nitrogen greatly increase potency • Adding 14-OH group also increase activity • Morhinas are more potent and longer acting than their morphine counterparts, but they also have higher toxity and comparable dependence characteristics • The modifications carried out on morphine, when carried out on the morphinans, lead to the same biological result. This implies that both type of molecule are binding to the same receptors in the same way • The morpinans are easier to synthesize since they are simple molecules

39. Removing Rings C and D • Opening both rings C and D gives an interesting group of compound called the bonzomorphans which are found to retain analgesic activity. • Rings C and D are not essential to analgesic activity • Analgesia and addiction are not necessarily co-existent • 6,7-benzomorphans are clinically useful compound whice resonable analgesic activity, less addictive liabbility and less tolerance • Benzhomorphans are simple to synthesize

40. Removing Rings B, C, and D • Removing rings B, C, and D gives an series of compound known as 4-phenyl-piperidines. • Their structural relationship to morphine was only identified when they werw found to be analgesics • Rings C, D, and E are not essential for analgesic activity • Piperidines retain side-effect such as addition and depression of the respiratory centre • Piperidine analgesics are faster acting and have shorter duration • The quartenary centre present in the piperidines is usually necessary • The aromatic ring and basic nitrogen are essensial to activity but the phenol group is not • Piperidine analgesics appear to bind with analgesic receptors in a different manner to previous groups

41. Removing Rings B, C, D, and E • Methadone retains morphine-like side-effect, hoever it is orally active and has less severe emetic and constipation effects. • Side-effect such as sedation, euphoria, and withdrawal are also less severe and therefore the compound has been given to drug addicts as a substitute for morphine or heroin in order to wean them off these drugs. • This is not complete cure since it merely swaps an addiction to heroin/morphines for an addiction to methadone

42. The molecule has a single asymmetric centre and when the molecule is drown in the same manner as morphine, R-enantiomer being twice as ppowerful as morphine whereas the S-enantiomer is inactive

43. RIGIDIFICATION A completely different strategy is to make the molecule more complicated or more rigid. This strategy to remove the side-effects of a drug or to increase activity. The side-effects of a drug are due to interactions with additional receptors. This interactions are probably because of the molecule taking up different conformations or shapes. If we make the molecule more rigid, we might eliminate the conformations which are recognized by undesireable receptors and restrict the molecule to the specific conformation which fits the desired receptor. In this way, we would hope to eliminate such side-effects as dependence and respiratory depression. We might also expect increased activity since the molecules is more likely to be in the correct conformation to interact with the receptor.

44. The example of this tactic in the analgesic field is provided by a group of compounds known as the oripavines. These structures often show remarkably high activity. The oripavines are made from an alkaloid which we have not described so far-thebaine (Fig. 17.26). Thebaine, codeine, and morphine is similar in structure. Unlike morphine and codeine, thebaine has no analgesic activity.

45. There is a diene group present in ring C and when thebaine reacts with methyl vinyl ketone, a Diels Alder reaction takes place to give an extra ring and increased rigidity to the structure.

46. The Grignard reaction is stereospecific. By varying the groups added by the Grignard reaction, some remarkably powerful compounds have been obtained. For example : Etorphine = 10 000x more potent than morphine. A combination hydrophobic molecule and can cross the blood-brain barrier 300x more easily than morphine, has 20x more affinity for the analgesic receptor site because of better binding interactions.

47. At slightly higher doses than those required for analgesia can act as sedative. The compound has a considerable margin safety and is used to immobilize large animals such as elephants. Only very small doses are required and these can be dissolved in such small volumes (1 mL) that they can be placed in crossbow darts. Adding a cyclopropyl group gives a very powerful antagonist called diprenorphine which is 100x more potent than nalorphine (oripavine equivalent) and can be used to reverse the immobilizing effects of ethorphine. Diprenorphine has no analgesic activity.

48. Replacing the methyl group derived from the Grignard reagent with a t-butyl group gives buprenorphine (Fig.17.31), which has the similar properties to drug like nalorphine that it has analgesic activity with a very low risk of addiction. Buprenorphine is the most lipophilic compounds and therefore enters the brain very easily, such a drug would react quickly with its receptor.

49. Buprenorphine = 100x more active than morphine as an agonist and 4x more active than nalorphine as an antagonist. • the risks of suffocation from a drug overdose < morphine. • to treat patients suffering from cancer and also following surgery. • can’t be taken orally, so drawbacks include side effect such as nausea and vomiting. • weaning addicts off heroin.

50. Buprenorphine binds slowly to analgesic receptors but, once it does bind, it binds very strongly. Overall, buprenorphine’s stronger affinity for analgesic receptors outweights its relatively weak action, such that buprenorphine can produce analgesia at lower doses than morphine. Buprenorphine provides another example of an opiate analogue where analgesia has been separated from dangerous side-effects.