2-Amino-4,6-diarylpyridines as novel ligands for the estrogen receptor

We have prepared a novel series of 2-amino-4,6-diarylpyridines that function as ligands of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). These compounds bind to both ERα and ERβ with a modest selectivity for the alpha subtype. The most potent of these analogues, compound 19, has a Ki=20 nM at ERα. These molecules represent a novel template for designing potentially useful ligands for the estrogen receptor.