Morphothiadin (GLS4) (Synonyms: Morphothiadin)

Morphothiadin is a potent inhibitor on the replication of both wild-type and adefovir-resistant HBV with an IC50 of 12 nM.

Morphothiadin is a potent inhibitor on the replication of both wild-type and adefovir-resistant HBV with an IC50 of 12 nM. Morphothiadin (GLS4) shows no toxicity up to 25 μM. The cytotoxic dose whereby 50% of cells die (CC50) for primary hepatocytes is 115 μM for Morphothiadin (P<0.001). The CC90 is 190 μM for Morphothiadin (P<0.01) in HepAD38 cells. Morphothiadin strongly inhibits virus accumulation in the supernatant of HepAD38 cells at 25 nM to 100 nM (P<0.02). Results show a concentration-dependent decrease of core protein in cells treated with Morphothiadin[2].

The area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0-24) of Morphothiadin (GLS4) is 556 h•ng/mL. After intravenous administration of 10 mg/kg Morphothiadin, the total plasma clearance and apparent volume distribution are 4.2 liters/h/kg and 7.38 liters/kg, respectively. The bioavailability of Morphothiadin is 25.5%. It is found that virus titers have increased 83.5-fold in mice treated with 3.75 mg/kg per day of Morphothiadin, 28.3-fold among mice treated with 7.5 mg/kg per day, but only 3- to 6-fold among mice treated with the higher doses of Morphothiadin. There is generally an inverse relationship between Morphothiadin dose and virus titer, with the greatest rebound seen in mice treated with 3.75 mg/kg per day of Morphothiadin (540-fold) and the smallest rebound in mice treated with 60 mg/kg per day (23-fold) (P7.5 mg/kg per day significantly suppresses the virus replication cycle throughout the treatment period, while Morphothiadin doses of >15 mg/kg per day suppresses virus for up to 2 weeks after the end of treatment[2].

[1]. Zhou X, et al. Effects of ketoconazole and rifampicin on the pharmacokinetics of GLS4, a novel anti-hepatitis B virus compound, in dogs. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2013 Nov;34(11):1420-6. [2]. Wu G, et al. Preclinical characterization of GLS4, an inhibitor of hepatitis B virus core particle assembly. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013 Nov;57(11):5344-54.