Benzo[d]imidazole Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Antagonists for the Treatment of Pain: Discovery of trans-2-(2-{2-[2-(4-Trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-vinyl]‑1H‑benzimidazol-5-yl}-phenyl)-propan-2-ol (Mavatrep)

Reported herein is the design, synthesis, and pharmacologic characterization of a class of TRPV1 antagonists constructed on a benzo­[d]­imidazole platform that evolved from a biaryl amide lead. This design composes three sections: a 2-substituted 5-phenyl headgroup attached to the benzo­[d]­imidazole platform, which is tethered at the two position to a phenyl tail group. Optimization of this design led to the identification of 4 (mavatrep), comprising a trifluoromethyl–phenyl–vinyl tail. In a TRPV1 functional assay, using cells expressing recombinant human TRPV1 channels, 4 antagonized capsaicin-induced Ca2+ influx, with an IC50 value of 4.6 nM. In the complete Freund’s adjuvant- and carrageenan-induced thermal hypersensitivity models, 4 exhibited full efficacy, with ED80 values of 7.8 and 0.5 mg/kg, respectively, corresponding to plasma levels of 270.8 and 9.2 ng/mL, respectively. On the basis of its superior pharmacologic and safety profile, 4 (mavatrep) was selected for clinical development for the treatment of pain.