Abstact

Chronic itch, particularly in cholestatic and uremic conditions, poses a notable clinical burden, yet treatment options remain inadequate. MRGPRX4 (hX4), a bile-acid-sensing G-protein-coupled receptor predominantly expressed in human sensory neurons, has emerged as a critical mediator of cholestatic pruritus. Here we identified and characterized HEP-50768, a potent and selective small-molecule inverse agonist of hX4 through high-throughput screening and structure-activity optimization. Structural elucidation through cryo-electron microscopy of the hX4-inverse agonist complex structure revealed the unique binding mode and inhibitory mechanism of HEP-50768. In hX4-humanized rats, HEP-50768 robustly suppressed bile-acid-induced pruritic behaviors. Comprehensive preclinical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and safety profiling was performed in both rats and monkeys, and these findings establish HEP-50768 as a promising therapeutic candidate for chronic itch, supporting its advancement to clinical evaluation.