Design, Synthesis, and Biological Characterization of Metabolically Stable Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators

The study designed, synthesized, and evaluated second-generation nonsteroidal selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) to improve metabolic stability and pharmacologic activity. Several new compounds showed high binding affinity to the androgen receptor (AR) and significant agonist activity, comparable to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In vivo tests on castrated male rats demonstrated that compounds S-5, S-6, S-9, and S-10 exhibited strong anabolic activity with minimal androgenic effects. The research provided evidence of a new class of tissue-selective SARMs with favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, warranting further exploration of their dose-response and structure-activity relationships. The study was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Van Vleet Professor funds.