Discovery of LSZ102, a Potent, Orally Bioavailable Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD) for the Treatment of Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer.

In breast cancer, estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) positive cancer accounts for approximately 74% of all diagnoses, and in these settings, it is a primary driver of cell proliferation. Treatment of ERα positive breast cancer has long relied on endocrine therapies such as selective estrogen receptor modulators, aromatase inhibitors, and selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs). The steroid-based anti-estrogen fulvestrant (5), the only approved SERD, is effective in patients who have not previously been treated with endocrine therapy as well as in patients who have progressed after receiving other endocrine therapies. Its efficacy, however, may be limited due to its poor physicochemical properties. We describe the design and synthesis of a series of potent benzothiophene-containing compounds that exhibit oral bioavailability and preclinical activity as SERDs. This article culminates in the identification of LSZ102 (10), a compound in clinical development for the treatment of ERα positive breast cancer.

Discovery of an Acrylic Acid Based Tetrahydroisoquinoline as an Orally Bioavailable Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader for ERα+ Breast Cancer.

Tetrahydroisoquinoline 40 has been identified as a potent ERα antagonist and selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), exhibiting good oral bioavailability, antitumor efficacy, and SERD activity in vivo. We outline the discovery and chemical optimization of the THIQ scaffold leading to THIQ 40 and showcase the racemization of the scaffold, pharmacokinetic studies in preclinical species, and the in vivo efficacy of THIQ 40 in a MCF-7 human breast cancer xenograft model.

Enantioselective synthesis of highly substituted furans by a copper(II)-catalyzed cycloisomerization-indole addition reaction.

A catalytic enantioselective reaction based on a copper(II) catalyst strictly containing chiral anionic ligands is described. In the present work, copper(II)-phosphate catalyst promotes the intramolecular heterocyclization of 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alkene-1-ones and facilitates high levels of enantioselectivity in the subsequent nucleophile attack. Mechanistic studies suggest that formation of a copper(II)-indole species is important for catalysis.

Asymmetric 1,4-dihydroxylation of 1,3-dienes by catalytic enantioselective diboration.

Asymmetric 1,4-dihydroxylations of 1,3-dienes, and other transformations, are initiated by the Pt-catalyzed enantioselective addition of bis(pinacolato)diboron (B(2)(pin)(2)) to conjugated dienes. The studies reported in this communication suggest that both cyclic and acyclic substrates will participate in this reaction; however, dienes which are unable to adopt the S-cis conformation are unreactive. For most substrates, 1,4-addition is the predominant pathway. In addition to oxidation to the derived 2-buten-1,4-diol, stereoselective carbonyl allylation with the intermediate bis(boronate) ester is also described.

Catalytic enantioselective diboration, disilation and silaboration: new opportunities for asymmetric synthesis.

This article summarizes recent developments in the area of catalytic enantioselective reactions of unsaturated organic substrates with diboron, silylboron, and disilane reagents. These reactions provide new routes to the functionalization of prochiral substrates and therefore offer new strategies in asymmetric organic synthesis.

Development, mechanism, and scope of the palladium-catalyzed enantioselective allene diboration.

In the presence of a chiral phosphoramidite ligand, the palladium-catalyzed diboration of allenes can be executed with high enantioselectivity. This reaction provides high levels of selectivity with a range of aromatic and aliphatic allene substrates. Isotopic-labeling experiments, stereodifferentiating reactions, kinetic analysis, and computational experiments suggest that the catalytic cycle proceeds by a mechanism involving rate-determining oxidative addition of the diboron to Pd followed by transfer of both boron groups to the unsaturated substrate. This transfer reaction most likely occurs by coordination and insertion of the more accessible terminal alkene of the allene substrate, by a mechanism that directly provides the eta3 pi-allyl complex in a stereospecific, concerted fashion.

Concatenated catalytic asymmetric allene diboration/allylation/functionalization.

[reaction: see text] Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective diboration of prochiral allenes generates a reactive chiral allylboron intermediate which is a versatile reagent for the allylation of carbonyls. Experiments that improve the enantioselectivity of this process, examine the substrate scope, and are directed toward functionalization of the allylation intermediate are described.

Free Radical-Mediated Aryl Amination: A Practical Synthesis of (R)- and (S)-7-Azaindoline α-Amino Acid.

Two nonnatural proline derivatives, (S)- and (R)-7-azaindoline α-amino acid have been prepared and isolated as their trifluoroacetate salt on gram scale. The convergent sequence (6 steps from 2-bromopyridine) employs a combination of enantioselective phase transfer catalyzed glycine alkylation and free radical-mediated aryl amination. Implementation of the solid-liquid phase transfer conditions requires manual pulverization of cesium hydroxide, efficient mechanical stirring, and effective low temperature control. This large scale free radical cyclization protocol replaces benzene solvent with toluene without complication, and the crystalline nature of the intermediates and final product enables straightforward purification at each stage, including enantiomeric enrichment (89 to >99% ee for 4b).

Palladium-catalyzed enantioselective diboration of prochiral allenes.

Pd-catalyzed diboration of prochiral allenes occurs exclusively at the internal position and is remarkably accelerated in the presence of Lewis basic ligand structures. On the basis of preliminary observations, a chiral ligand was employed, and the enantiomeric excess of a variety of diboration products was found to be in the range of 86-92% ee. The chiral diboron reaction products should be useful in organic synthesis, and preliminary experiments suggest that they may participate in allylation reactions with a high level of chirality transfer.