BMS-708163

BMS-708163 (Avagacestat) is a potent, selective γ-secretase inhibitor of Aβ40 and Aβ42 with IC50 of 0.3 nM and 0.27 nM, respectively. BMS-708163 binds directly to the presenilin-1 N-terminal fragment and that binding can be challenged by other pan-GSIs, but not by γ-secretase modulators. BMS-708163 blocks the binding of four different active site-directed GSI photoaffinity probes. Administration of a single dose of 200 or 400 mg of BMS-708163 resulted in a marked decrease in CSF Aβ(1-38), Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(1-42) concentrations vs placebo; with smaller decreases observed in the 50 mg dose group. BMS-708163 (Avagacestat) was quickly absorbed into the systemic circulation, with a mean time to reach maximum plasma concentration (t(max)) of approximately 1-2 h, and a CSF t(max) of approximately 3 h. BMS-708163 is 190-fold more selective for APP than Notch, having an IC50 of 58 nM for Notch.