Furo[2,3‐d]pyrimidines and Oxazolo[5,4‐d]pyrimidines as Inhibitors of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTK)

Receptor tyrosine kinases such as VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, KDR) or EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) play crucial roles in a variety of diseases, such as cancer. Recently, some pyrrolopyrimidines were shown to be potent EGFR inhibitors. Therefore, new types of oxazolo5,4‐d]pyrimidines and furo2,3‐d]pyrimidines were synthesized (Schemes 1 and 2). Appropriately substituted derivatives of these classes of compounds inhibited VEGFR2 and EGFR with IC₅₀ values in the low nanomolar range (see Table). Generally, the furopyrimidines were somewhat more active than the oxazolopyrimidines. The best inhibitors, 20m, 20p , and 20r , had an IC₅₀ of 3 nM towards EGFR and showed a good selectivity, being distinctly less active towards VEGFR2.