Merimepodib

Merimepodib

Legal status
Legal status	US: Investigational drug
Identifiers
IUPAC name [(3S)-oxolan-3-yl] N-[(3-{[3-methoxy-4-(1,3-oxazol-5-yl)phenyl]carbamoylamino}phenyl)methyl]carbamate
CAS Number	198821-22-6
PubChem CID	153241
DrugBank	DB04862
ChemSpider	135060
UNII	2ZL2BA06FU
KEGG	D04936
ChEMBL	ChEMBL304087
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID70173639
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C23H24N4O6
Molar mass	452.5 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)NC(=O)NC2=CC=CC(=C2)CNC(=O)O[C@H]3CCOC3)C4=CN=CO4
InChI InChI=1S/C23H24N4O6/c1-30-20-10-17(5-6-19(20)21-12-24-14-32-21)27-22(28)26-16-4-2-3-15(9-16)11-25-23(29)33-18-7-8-31-13-18/h2-6,9-10,12,14,18H,7-8,11,13H2,1H3,(H,25,29)(H2,26,27,28)/t18-/m0/s1 Key:JBPUGFODGPKTDW-SFHVURJKSA-N

Merimepodib (VX-497) is a drug which acts as an inhibitor of the enzyme inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, which is required for the synthesis of nucleotide bases containing guanine. This consequently inhibits synthesis of DNA and RNA, and results in antiviral and immunosuppressive effects. It progressed as far as Phase 2b human clinical trials against Hepatitis C but showed only modest benefits in comparison to existing treatments, however it continues to be researched, and also shows activity against other viral diseases such as Zika virus and foot and mouth disease virus.

Merimepodib was investigated in combination with remdesivir in a phase 2 clinical trial in the U.S. as a potential treatment of COVID-19 by ViralClear Pharmaceuticals.The trial stopped in October 2020, and the company announced in a news release that it was "unlikely that the trial would meet its primary safety endpoints", and that it "does not intend to further develop merimepodib".