Synthesis and antimalarial activities of a diverse set of triazole-containing furamidine analogues

Four different series of triazole diamidines have been prepared by the Pinner method from the corresponding triazole dinitriles. Copper‐catalyzed “click chemistry” was used for the synthesis of 1,4‐ and 4,5‐substituted triazoles, aryl magnesium acetylide reagents for the 1,5‐substituted triazoles, with a thermal dipolar addition reaction employed for the 2,4‐substituted triazoles. In vitro antimalarial activity against two different PfCRT‐modified parasite lines (Science 2002 , 298, 210–213) of Plasmodium falciparum and inhibition of hemozoin formation were determined for each compound. Several diamidines with potent nanomolar antimalarial activities were identified, and selected molecules were resynthesized as their diamidoxime triazole prodrugs. One of these prodrugs, OB216, proved to be highly potent in vivo with an ED₅₀ value of 5 mg kg^?1 (po) and an observed 100 % cure rate (CD₁₀₀) of just 10 mg kg^?1 by oral (po) administration in mice infected with P. vinckei.