The role of fluorine in drug design and development is expanding rapidly as we learn more about the unique properties associated with this unusual element and how to deploy it with greater sophistication. The judicious introduction of fluorine into a molecule can productively influence conformation, pKa, intrinsic potency, membrane permeability, metabolic pathways, and pharmacokinetic properties. In addition, 18F has been established as a useful positron emitting isotope for use with in vivo imaging technology that potentially has extensive application in drug discovery and development, often limited only by convenient synthetic accessibility to labeled compounds. The wide ranging applications of fluorine in drug design are providing a strong stimulus for the development of new synthetic methodologies that allow more facile access to a wide range of fluorinated compounds. In this review, we provide an update on the effects of the strategic incorporation of fluorine in drug molecules and applications in po...

Applications of Fluorine in Medicinal Chemistry

The concept of isosterism between relatively simple chemical entities was originally contemplated by James Moir in 1909, a notion further refined by H. G. Grimm’s hydride displacement law and captured more effectively in the ideas advanced by Irving Langmuir based on experimental observations. Langmuir coined the term “isostere” and, 18 years in advance of its actual isolation and characterization, predicted that the physical properties of the then unknown ketene would resemble those of diazomethane. The emergence of bioisosteres as structurally distinct compounds recognized similarly by biological systems has its origins in a series of studies published byHans Erlenmeyer in the 1930s, who extended earlier work conducted by Karl Landsteiner. Erlenmeyer showed that antibodies were unable to discriminate between phenyl and thienyl rings or O, NH, and CH2 in the context of artificial antigens derived by reacting diazonium ions with proteins, a process that derivatized the ortho position of tyrosine, as summarized in Figure 1 The term “bioisostere” was introduced by Harris Friedman in 1950 who defined it as compounds eliciting a similar biological effect while recognizing that compounds may be isosteric but not necessarily bioisosteric. This notion anticipates that the application of bioisosterism will depend on context, relying much less on physicochemical properties as the underlying principle for biochemical mimicry. Bioisosteres are typically less than exact structural mimetics and are often more alike in biological rather than physical properties. Thus, an effective bioisostere for one biochemical application may not translate to another setting, necessitating the careful selection and tailoring of an isostere for a specific circumstance. Consequently, the design of bioisosteres frequently introduces structural changes that can be beneficial or deleterious depending on the context, with size, shape, electronic distribution, polarizability, dipole, polarity, lipophilicity, and pKa potentially playing key contributing roles in molecular recognition and mimicry. In the contemporary practice of medicinal chemistry, the development and application of bioisosteres have been adopted as a fundamental tactical approach useful to address a number of aspects associated with the design and development of drug candidates. The established utility of bioisosteres is broad in nature, extending to improving potency, enhancing selectivity, altering physical properties, reducing or redirecting metabolism, eliminating or modifying toxicophores, and acquiring novel intellectual property. In this Perspective, some contemporary themes exploring the role of isosteres in drug design are sampled, with an emphasis placed on tactical applications designed to solve the kinds of problems that impinge on compound optimization and the long-term success of drug candidates. Interesting concepts that may have been poorly effective in the context examined are captured, since the ideas may have merit in alternative circumstances. A comprehensive cataloging of bioisosteres is beyond the scope of what will be provided, although a synopsis of relevant isosteres of a particular functionality is summarized in a succinct fashion in several sections. Isosterism has also found productive application in the design and optimization of organocatalysts, and there are several examples in which functional mimicry established initially in a medicinal chemistry setting has been adopted by this community.

Synopsis of some recent tactical application of bioisosteres in drug design.

“All new is well-forgotten old”, the proverb goes. The current “fluorine boom” is news only to a novice in the field: the exceptional importance of fluorinated organic compounds in numerous areas has been known for a long time. The sharpest increase in the number of fluorine-containing pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals is dated back to 30 years ago. Also around that time (1979), the first monograph devoted to industrial applications of organofluorine compounds was published, covering not only fluorine-containing biologically active materials but also refrigerants, propellants, surfactants, textile chemicals, polymers, and dyes. The increasingly broad realization of the key role of organofluorine compounds in numerous areas has recently attracted many new scientists to the field. The development of new methods for the selective introduction of fluorine and fluorinecontaining groups into organic molecules for biologically active and other useful materials has become a hot area. Over 100 reviews, book chapters, and highlights on this subject have appeared in the literature in the past few years. As citing all of these publications in this review article is impossible, we provide references to only the most recent, general, and comprehensive ones. Molecules bearing a trifluoromethyl group constitute one of the most important classes of selectively fluorinated compounds. As early as 1928, Lehmann reported his observations of biological activity of some trifluoromethylated organic derivatives and already in 1959 Yale published a detailed review article entitled “The Trifluoromethyl Group in Medicinal Chemistry”. Since then, numerous books and reviews have appeared in the literature covering various aspects of trifluoromethylated organic and organometallic compounds. Within this family, derivatives bearing the CF3 group on aromatic rings are particularly numerous and important. Some examples of such compounds used as active ingredients of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals are shown in Scheme 1. Trifluoromethylated building blocks and intermediates are clearly needed to make such molecules. The simplest trifluoromethylated aromatic compound, benzotrifluoride, was originally prepared by Swarts at the end of the 19th century. In his work, Swarts treated benzotrichloride with “two thirds of its weight of antimony fluoride” to obtain a mixture of PhCF2Cl and PhCF3, from which the two were separated and isolated pure by distillation. In the early 1930s, two industrial groups, one from Kinetic Chemicals, Inc. and one from I. G. Farbenindustrie AG patented their discoveries on the successful use of HF instead of SbF3 for the Swarts reaction. These inventions were the starting point for the modern large-scale manufacturing of trifluoromethylated aromatics. Other methods have been developed for conversion of various C1 units on the ring to CF3 with a variety of fluorinating agents. While representing an outstanding discovery and a classic of organic and organofluorine chemistry, the Swarts reaction is nonetheless neither atom-economical nor environmentally benign, as it deals with stoichiometric quantities of hazardous chemicals and generates large amounts of chlorine waste. To convert a CH3 group on the ring to CF3, the methyl is first exhaustively chlorinated to produce 3 equiv of HCl as a

Aromatic Trifluoromethylation with Metal Complexes

The electronic properties and relatively small size of fluorine endow it with considerable versatility as a bioisostere and it has found application as a substitute for lone pairs of electrons, the hydrogen atom, and the methyl group while also acting as a functional mimetic of the carbonyl, carbinol, and nitrile moieties. In this context, fluorine substitution can influence the potency, conformation, metabolism, membrane permeability, and P-gp recognition of a molecule and temper inhibition of the hERG channel by basic amines. However, as a consequence of the unique properties of fluorine, it features prominently in the design of higher order structural metaphors that are more esoteric in their conception and which reflect a more sophisticated molecular construction that broadens biological mimesis. In this Perspective, applications of fluorine in the construction of bioisosteric elements designed to enhance the in vitro and in vivo properties of a molecule are summarized.

Fluorine and Fluorinated Motifs in the Design and Application of Bioisosteres for Drug Design.

Carbon trifluoromethylation reactions of hydrocarbon derivatives and heteroarenes.

The small and highly electronegative fluorine atom can play a remarkable role in medicinal chemistry. Selective installation of fluorine into a therapeutic or diagnostic small molecule candidate can enhance a number of pharmacokinetic and physicochemical properties such as improved metabolic stability and enhanced membrane permeation. Increased binding affinity of fluorinated drug candidates to target protein has also been documented in a number of cases. A further emerging application of the fluorine atom is the use of 18F as a radiolabel tracer atom in the exquisitely sensitive technique of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. This short review aims to bring together these various aspects of the use of fluorine in medicinal chemistry applications, citing selected examples from across a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic settings. The increasingly routine incorporation of fluorine atom(s) into drug candidates suggests a bright future for fluorine in drug discovery and development. A major challenge moving forward will be how and where to install fluorine in a rational sense to best optimise molecular properties.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14756360701425014

The role of fluorine in medicinal chemistry

The purpose of this study was to conduct initial characterization of membrane vesicles isolated from human placenta by agitation of villous tissue (apical and basal) as well as vesicles obtained following dual perfusion of placental lobule. The morphology, physical and biological properties of the isolated vesicles were determined by electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and immunoblotting as well as nanoflow liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry proteomics analysis. CD-1 male mice were used to test the biocompatibility of the vesicles in vivo and assess the biodistribution of fluorescently labeled apical and perfusion vesicles. The vesicles obtained following placental perfusion and the apical vesicles had Z-average diameters of 199±23 nm and 246±24 nm, respectively, and demonstrated nanocarrier stability, low toxicity, and low immunogenicity. On the other hand, administration of basal vesicles resulted in animal demise with LD50 of 0.85 μgprotein/g. Both fluorescently labeled apical and perfusion vesicles were detected in the lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen of CD-1 mice within 24 h of administration. However, there were differences in organ distribution of these vesicles over 24 hours time period. These data suggest that placental apical and perfusion vesicles have a potential for further development as biological vehicles for drug delivery.

Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Membrane Vesicles Derived from Human Term Placentas.

Introduction: Social factors influencing the likelihood of developing pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) disorders include socioeconomic status, the type of family, overcrowding, and access to health care, which are prevalent in developing countries like Nepal. Nepalese populations are not well documented with regards to pediatric ENT disorders. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of ENT disorders in pediatric patients attending hospitals. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that which was conducted at Janaki Medical College, Janakpur between January and September of 2021. Consecutive children from Janaki Medical College between the ages of 6 months and 18 years with otological complaints participated in the study. Afterward, the diagnosis was derived from patients’ OPD cards or by contacting them by phone. Results: The mean ages of male and female participants were 3.2± 2.7 years old and 4.9 ± 2.6 years respectively. Out of the study participants who complained about otological complaints, the majority (37.45%) had ear wax on their ears, followed by foreign bodies (21.30%) and acute otitis externa (9.2%). Among foreign bodies encountered, rubber (35.48%) was most common, followed by seed (24.19%). Conclusions: Pediatric ear diseases are very common. In the majority of cases, ear wax and foreign bodies were found. By raising awareness about ear hygiene and disease, we can reduce the problems associated with them.

Poonam Shah

Papers

The role of fluorine in medicinal chemistry

Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Membrane Vesicles Derived from Human Term Placentas.

Pediatric Otological Disorders: An In-Hospital Study