The discovery of benzoxazine sulfonamide inhibitors of Na1.7: Tools that bridge efficacy and target engagement.

The voltage-gated sodium channel Na1.7 has received much attention from the scientific community due to compelling human genetic data linking gain- and loss-of-function mutations to pain phenotypes. Despite this genetic validation of Na1.7 as a target for pain, high quality pharmacological tools facilitate further understanding of target biology, establishment of target coverage requirements and subsequent progression into the clinic. Within the sulfonamide class of inhibitors, reduced potency on rat Na1.7 versus human Na1.7 was observed, rendering in vivo rat pharmacology studies challenging. Herein, we report the discovery and optimization of novel benzoxazine sulfonamide inhibitors of human, rat and mouse Na1.7 which enabled pharmacological assessment in traditional behavioral rodent models of pain and in turn, established a connection between formalin-induced pain and histamine-induced pruritus in mice. The latter represents a simple and efficient means of measuring target engagement.