Potent and Protease Resistant Azapeptide Agonists of the GLP‐1 and GIP Receptors

Abstract The gut‐derived peptide hormones glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) play important physiological roles including glucose homeostasis and appetite suppression. Stabilized agonists of the GLP‐1 receptor (GLP‐1R) and dual agonists of GLP‐1R and GIP receptor (GIPR) for the management of type 2 diabetes and obesity have generated widespread enthusiasm and have become blockbuster drugs. These therapeutics are refractory to the action of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP4), that catalyzes rapid removal of the two N‐terminal residues of the native peptides, in turn severely diminishing their activity profiles. Here we report that a single atom change from carbon to nitrogen in the backbone of the entire peptide makes them refractory to DPP4 action while still retaining full potency and efficacy at their respective receptors. This was accomplished by use of aza‐amino acids, that are bioisosteric replacements for α‐amino acids that perturb the structural backbone and local side chain conformations. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that aza‐amino acid can populate the same conformational space that GLP‐1 adopts when bound to the GLP‐1R. The insertion of an aza‐amino acid at the second position from the N‐terminus in semaglutide and in a dual agonist of GLP‐1R and GIPR further demonstrates its capability as a viable alternative to current DPP4 resistance strategies while offering additional structural variation that may influence downstream signaling.