Scalable Asymmetric Synthesis of the All Cis Triamino Cyclohexane Core of BMS-813160.

BMS-813160 is a pharmaceutical entity currently in development at Bristol Myers Squibb. Its defining structural feature is a unique chiral all cis triamino cyclohexane core. Medicinal and process chemistry groups at BMS have previously published synthesis strategies for chemotypes similar to the target molecule, but a streamlined approach amenable for longer-term supply was necessary. A new synthetic route was conceptualized, experimentally investigated, and determined to meet the criteria for efficiency that addressed key limitations of previous approaches. Adopting/optimizing the Trost asymmetric allylic amination desymmetrization methodology was a key tool used to produce a synthesis intermediate with high optical purity. In addition, developing a tandem Mannich-aza-Michael reaction to obviate the need for a Curtis/acylation sequence and a novel reductive amination/thermal lactamization to circumvent Freidinger-type pyrrolidone preparation are some of the synthesis improvements that enabled access to the target molecule to fulfill long-term supply requirements.

Enantioselective Synthesis of a γ-Secretase Modulator via Vinylogous Dynamic Kinetic Resolution.

Two efficient asymmetric routes to γ-secretase modulator BMS-932481, under investigation for Alzheimer's disease, have been developed. The key step for the first route involves a challenging enantioselective hydrogenation of an unfunctionalized trisubstituted alkene to establish the benzylic stereocenter, representing a very rare case of achieving high selectivity on a complex substrate. The second route demonstrates the first example of a vinylogous dynamic kinetic resolution (VDKR) ketone reduction, where the carbonyl and the racemizable stereocenter are not contiguous, but are conjugated through a pyrimidine ring. Not only did this transformation require both catalyst and substrate control to correctly establish the two stereocenters, but it also necessitated that the nonadjacent benzylic center of the ketone substrate be more acidic than that of the alcohol product to make the process dynamic. DFT computations aided the design of this novel VDKR pathway by reliably predicting the relative acidities of the intermediates involved.

Implementation of a mathematical model for the photochemical kinetics of a solid form active pharmaceutical ingredient.

We present here the development of a photochemical model used to quantify the risk to photodegradation of a solid drug substance. A key feature of the proposed model development is streamlined estimation of the dependence of the absorption spectra and the quantum yield to the wavelength. A mathematical description of the relationship between the quantum yield and the wavelength enables estimation of photodegradation kinetics under any light anticipated to be encountered in the manufacturing environment. The system studied here consisted of a first order irreversible transformation (A → B(1Φ)) and the formalism strongly suggested the quantum yield was constant over the relevant wavelength range. The predictive power of the model enabled the design of a control strategy to limit the formation of the photo-degradant to very low levels. Also presented are insights obtained from quantum mechanical modeling of the electronic transitions associated with the UV absorption spectra.

A photochemical kinetic model for solid dosage forms.

Photochemical kinetic models to describe the solution phase degradation of pharmaceutical compounds have been extensively reported, but formalisms applicable to the solid phase under polychromatic light have not received as much attention. The objective of this study was to develop a mathematical model to describe the solid state photodegradation of pharmaceutical powder materials under different area/volumetric scales and light exposure conditions. The model considered the previous formalism presented for photodegradation kinetics in solution phase with important elements applied to static powder material being irradiated with a polychromatic light source. The model also included the influence of optical phenomena (i.e. reflectance, scattering factors, etc.) by applying Beer-Lambert law to light attenuation, including effects of powder density. Drug substance and drug product intermediates (blends and tablet cores) were exposed to different light sources and intensities. The model reasonably predicted the photodegradation levels of powder beds of drug substance and drug product intermediates under white and yellow lights with intensities around 5-11kLux. Importantly, the model estimates demonstrated that the reciprocity law for photoreactions was held. Further model evaluation showed that, due to light attenuation, the powder bed is in virtual darkness at cake depths greater than 500µm. At 100µm, the photodegradation of the investigated compound is expected to be close to 100% in 10days under white fluorescent halophosphate light at 9.5kLux. For tablets, defining the volume over exposed surface area ratio is more challenging. Nevertheless, the model can consider a bracket between worst and best cases to provide a reasonable photodegradation estimate. This tool can be significantly leveraged to simulate different light exposure scenarios while assessing photostability risk in order to define appropriate control strategy in manufacturing.

Synthesis of the spirofungin B core by a reductive cyclization strategy.

[reaction: see text] A reductive decyanation approach to the synthesis of the core of spirofungin B has been developed. Spirofungin B has only one anomeric stabilization in the spiroacetal and was isolated along with its spiroacetal epimer, spirofungin A. The cyclization precursor was constructed from readily available starting materials. The reductive cyclization reaction was both efficient and stereoselective. The reductive cyclization strategy to spiroacetals is convergent and effective.

Organic chemistry. Practical olefin hydroamination with nitroarenes.

The synthesis and functionalization of amines are fundamentally important in a vast range of chemical contexts. We present an amine synthesis that repurposes two simple feedstock building blocks: olefins and nitro(hetero)arenes. Using readily available reactants in an operationally simple procedure, the protocol smoothly yields secondary amines in a formal olefin hydroamination. Because of the presumed radical nature of the process, hindered amines can easily be accessed in a highly chemoselective transformation. A screen of more than 100 substrate combinations showcases tolerance of numerous unprotected functional groups such as alcohols, amines, and even boronic acids. This process is orthogonal to other aryl amine syntheses, such as the Buchwald-Hartwig, Ullmann, and classical amine-carbonyl reductive aminations, as it tolerates aryl halides and carbonyl compounds.

Intramolecular S(N)2' cyclization of an alkyllithium species onto a methoxy allyl ether is syn selective.

The preference for syn- or anti-addition of an intramolecular S(N)2[prime or minute] cyclization of an alkyllithium species onto a methoxy allyl ether has been proven unequivocally to take place by a syn S(N)2[prime or minute] mechanism.

Multicomponent synthesis of 1-aryl 1,2,4-triazoles.

A multicomponent (single reactor) process for the synthesis of 1-aryl 1,2,4-triazoles was explored and developed. This transformation prepared the 1,2,4-triazole directly from anilines, amino pyridines, and pyrimidines. The reaction scope was explored with 21 different substrates, and the position of the nitrogen atoms in the newly formed ring was established by (15)N labeling and NMR spectroscopy.

A reductive cyclization approach to attenol A.

A reductive cyclization strategy was applied to the synthesis of attenol A. This nontraditional approach to the spiroacetal structure illustrated several advantages of the reductive cyclization methodology. The attenol A core was formed in a carbon-carbon bond coupling that gave rise to a previously inaccessible spiroacetal epimer, a new method to synthesize thioketene acetals from a phenyl sulfone was realized, and the configurational stability of a nonanomeric spiroacetal was evaluated. A minor byproduct in the reductive cyclization reaction was identified that for the first time allowed direct evaluation of the stereoselectivity in a reductive cyclization of a dialkyloxy alkyllithium reagent.

Stereoselectivity of intramolecular SN' cyclizations of alkyllithium reagents on methoxy alkenes.

The cyclization of alkyllithium reagents onto methoxy alkenes has been investigated. The alkyllithium reagent was generated by reductive lithiation of an alkyl nitrile. In an unbiased substrate, a methoxy leaving group attached to a stereogenic secondary carbon atom led to the cyclization product with high optical purity. The configuration of the product demonstrated that the cyclization had proceeded with high syn-S(N)' selectivity. Previously we have shown that 2-lithiotetrahydropyran reagents cyclize to form spirocycles with the alkene cis to the pyran oxygen. Substrates were prepared to evaluate the importance of the configuration of the secondary allyl methyl ether against the alpha-alkoxy alkyllithium configuration. In the matched case (cyano acetal 38), a very selective cyclization ensued. In the mismatched case (cyano acetal 39), the spiro ether selectivity dominated. The syn-S(N)' selectivity overcame the normal E selectivity in the cyclization and accounted for the major product, Z-alkene 45. Thus the stereochemical preference in these alkyllithium cyclizations is dominated by the spiroether effect, followed by the syn-S(N)' selectivity and finally the preference for E-alkene formation.