Review of recent acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor patents: mid-2007 – 2008

BACKGROUND: Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is a biologic target that is receiving increased attention for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Inhibition of this enzyme, either in transgenic mice or pharmacologically, has been shown to have beneficial effects on lab animals. METHOD: This review of the ACC inhibitor patent literature covers the period from mid-2007 to December 2008, during which time a total of 18 patents were published. CONCLUSION: These published patent applications include ACC inhibitors that inhibit the enzyme through modulation of the carboxyltransferase-domain, inhibitors that bind to the biotin carboxylase-domain and novel chemotypes whose mode of action was not disclosed. Furthermore, published patents claim the discovery of ACC2 isoform selective and ACC1/2 non-selective inhibitors.