title: Farnesoid X receptor modulators: a patent review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a key regulator of cholesterol homeostasis, triglyceride synthesis and lipogenesis. Given some patients' inability to tolerate existing medications, such as the statins, for cholesterol reduction, there is a pressing need for additional medicines to treat dyslipidemia. FXR agonists have emerged in discovery and preclinical efforts to show great potential for the treatment of these and other life-impairing and life-threatening conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recent advances in the search for novel FXR modulators are reviewed, with a particular focus on patent applications and peer-reviewed publications disclosed in the past 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 72 patent applications and peer-reviewed articles, containing 16 generic structure classes with nearly 5000 novel synthesized structures are reviewed. Where possible, the structure-activity relationship of these structure classes is surveyed, new insights into in vitro and in vivo efficacy of FXR agonists are disclosed, and potential new and promising therapeutic applications are revealed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FXR agonists have proven their efficacy and safety in primates and have significant potential as therapeutic agents for the treatment of dyslipidemia and potentially an array of other disease areas.
authors.affiliation: Origin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wayne, PA 19087, USA. mlcrawley@originpharmaceuticals.com
authors.forename: Matthew Lantz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Crawley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010330:Patents as Topic; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000819:agonists*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D000099150:Receptor, Farnesoid X-Activated
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D000099150:Receptor, Farnesoid X-Activated