Perspectives on the Designation of Oligonucleotide Starting Materials.

The designation of starting materials (SMs) for pharmaceuticals has been a topic of great interest and debate since the first ICH quality guidance was published. The increase in the number and variety of commercialized oligonucleotides (antisense oligonucleotides-ASOs, small interfering RNAs-siRNAs, etc.) in recent years has reignited dialogue on this topic because of the unique complexity of the monomeric nucleotides and other contributory materials used to manufacture oligonucleotides. The SM working group in the European Pharma Oligonucleotide Consortium (EPOC) was formed to help establish simple, risk-based criteria to guide the justification of oligonucleotide SMs. This article provides a description of the common types of SMs, classes of SM impurities, and control strategies that will be helpful to maintain manufacturing consistency.

Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities in Oligonucleotide Manufacturing.

With a renewed and growing interest in therapeutic oligonucleotides across the pharmaceutical industry, pressure is increasing on drug developers to take more seriously the sustainability ramifications of this modality. With 12 oligonucleotide drugs reaching the market to date and hundreds more in clinical trials and preclinical development, the current state of the art in oligonucleotide production poses a waste and cost burden to manufacturers. Legacy technologies make use of large volumes of hazardous reagents and solvents, as well as energy-intensive processes in synthesis, purification, and isolation. In 2016, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable (GCIPR) identified the development of greener processes for oligonucleotide Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) as a critical unmet need. As a result, the Roundtable formed a focus team with the remit of identifying green chemistry and engineering improvements that would make oligonucleotide production more sustainable. In this Perspective, we summarize the present challenges in oligonucleotide synthesis, purification, and isolation; highlight potential solutions; and encourage synergies between academia; contract research, development and manufacturing organizations; and the pharmaceutical industry. A critical part of our assessment includes Process Mass Intensity (PMI) data from multiple companies to provide preliminary baseline metrics for current oligonucleotide manufacturing processes.

Route design, the foundation of successful chemical development.

Route Design is the first step in the strategic development process for manufacture of a new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Numerous benefits can be realised for the project and the broader performance of the company. We present an appreciation of some of the potential challenges and describe the principles and practices that have shaped the Route Design culture within AstraZeneca. This is exemplified with case histories and we describe some of the activities that have supported our scientists and the simple messages used to educate the broader organisation.

Use of (Cyclopentadienone)iron Tricarbonyl Complexes for C-N Bond Formation Reactions between Amines and Alcohols.

The application of a series of (cyclopentadienone)iron tricarbonyl complexes to "borrowing hydrogen" reactions between amines and alcohols was completed in order to assess their catalytic activity. The electronic variation of the aromatic groups flanking the C═O of the cyclopentadienone influenced the efficiency of the reactions; however, in other cases, the Knölker catalyst 1, containing trimethylsilyl groups flanking the cyclopentadienone ketone, gave the best results. In some cases, the change of the ratio of amine to alcohol improves the conversion significantly. The application of iron catalysts to the synthesis of a range of amines, including unsaturated amines, was investigated.

Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of 1,3-Alkoxy/Aryloxy Propanones Using Tethered Arene/Ru(II)/TsDPEN Complexes.

A series of propanones containing combinations of aryloxy and alkoxy substituents at the 1- and 3-positions were reduced to the alcohols via asymmetric transfer hydrogenation using a tethered Ru(II)/TsDPEN catalyst. The enantioselectivities of the reductions reveal a complex pattern of electronic and steric effects which, when used in a matched combination, can lead to the formation of products of up to 68% ee (84:16 er) from this highly challenging class of substrate.

Enantioselective Nickel-Catalyzed Intramolecular Allylic Alkenylations Enabled by Reversible Alkenylnickel E/Z Isomerization.

Enantioselective nickel-catalyzed arylative cyclizations of substrates containing a Z-allylic phosphate tethered to an alkyne are described. These reactions give multisubstituted chiral aza- and carbocycles, and are initiated by the addition of an arylboronic acid to the alkyne, followed by cyclization of the resulting alkenylnickel species onto the allylic phosphate. The reversible E/Z isomerization of the alkenylnickel species is essential for the success of the reactions.

Investigating the Structure-Activity Relationship of the Insecticidal Natural Product Rocaglamide.

The natural product Rocaglamide (1), isolated from the tree Aglaia elliptifolia, is a compelling but also challenging lead structure for crop protection. In laboratory assays, the natural product shows highly interesting insecticidal activity against chewing pests and beetles, but also phytotoxicity on some crop plants. Multi-step syntheses with control of stereochemistry were required to probe the structure-activity relationship (SAR), and seek simplified analogues. After a significant research effort, just two areas of the molecule were identified which allow modification whilst maintaining activity, as will be highlighted in this paper.

C-N bond formation between alcohols and amines using an iron cyclopentadienone catalyst.

An iron-tetraphenylcyclopentadienone tricarbonyl complex is demonstrated to act as a precursor of a catalyst for the formation of C-N bonds through a "hydrogen-borrowing" reaction between amines and alcohols.

Direct imine acylation: synthesis of the proposed structures of 'upenamide.

The synthesis of the two proposed structures of macrocyclic marine natural product 'upenamide is reported. The key step utilizes direct imine acylation (DIA) with a protected ß-hydroxy acid to construct the key tricyclic ABC ring system. The macrocyclization was completed in the final step using a Stille cross-coupling reaction.