A series of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-3-carboxamide derivatives were designed and synthesized as new anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) agents. The compounds exhibit promising in vitro potency with nanomolar MIC values against the drug susceptive H37Rv strain and a panel of clinically isolated multidrug-resistant Mtb (MDR-TB) strains. One of the representative compounds (5k) significantly reduces the bacterial burden in an autoluminescent H37Ra infected mouse model, suggesting its promising potential to be a lead compound for future antitubercular drug discovery.
Keywords: Antitubercular agent; H37Rv; pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine; structure−activity relationship; tuberculosis.