Syntheses and pharmacokinetic studies of prodrug esters for the development of oral carbapenem, L-084.

We discovered an orally active carbapenem, L-084, through pharmacokinetic studies on various prodrug esters of (1R,5S,6S)-6-[(R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-l-methyl-2-[1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidin-3-yl]thio-1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid (LJC11,036). L-084 showed a strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and exhibited the highest intestinal absorption among synthesized prodrugs of LJC11,036.

Synthesis of new chiral sulfinyldiacetic acid derivatives and attempt at chemoselective asymmetric Pummerer reaction.

(R(S))-1 (85% ee) was prepared by utilizing a porcin pancreatic lipase-promoted hydrolysis of sulfinyldiacetic acid dimethyl ester (8) which was derived from thiodiacetic acid (7). (R(S))-1 (99% ee) and (S(S))-1 (99% ee) were readily obtained by methanolysis of (R(S),S)-12 and (S(S),S)-12 with MeONa in MeOH. (R(S),S)-12 and (S(S),S)-12 were furnished by chromatographic separation of the diastereomeric mixture, obtained by oxidation of thiodiacetic mono-carboxylic acid (11) with 30% H2O2 followed by dehydrative condensation of the resultant sulfinyldiacetic mono-carboxylic acid with 4(S)-isopropyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione. (R(S))-1 (99% ee) was successively treated with (TMS)2NLi, Ac2O, and TMSOTf to give a major chiral-3 product in 75% ee and in a highly chemoselective manner (chiral-3:chiral-2=93:7).

A novel, mild, and facile method to prepare 6-methylidene penem derivatives.

A novel and mild method was established to synthesize 6-methylidene penem compounds. This method entails a MgBr(2)/Et(3)N-promoted aldol-type condensation on 6-bromopenem 12 with an appropriately substituted aldehyde to yield the intermediate acetylated bromohydrin, which was smoothly converted to the final product with simultaneous deprotection of C3 carboxylic acid ester using activated zinc dust and phosphate buffer at pH 6.5. This process provides a useful variation of C-C bond formation method for penem derivatives and also serves as a practical synthetic method to prepare 6-exomethylenepenem derivatives without racemization at the C5 position.

In vitro and in vivo activities of novel 6-methylidene penems as beta-lactamase inhibitors.

Novel penem molecules with heterocycle substitutions at the 6 position via a methylidene linkage were investigated for their activities and efficacy as beta-lactamase inhibitors. The concentrations of these molecules that resulted in 50% inhibition of enzyme activity were 0.4 to 3.1 nM for the TEM-1 enzyme, 7.8 to 72 nM for Imi-1, 1.5 to 4.8 nM for AmpC, and 14 to 260 nM for a CcrA metalloenzyme. All the inhibitors were more stable than imipenem against hydrolysis by hog and human dehydropeptidases. Piperacillin was combined with a constant 4-microg/ml concentration of each inhibitor for MIC determinations. The combinations reduced piperacillin MICs by 2- to 32-fold for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The MICs for piperacillin-resistant (MIC of piperacillin, >64 microg/ml) strains of Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., and Serratia spp. were reduced to the level of susceptibility (MIC of piperacillin, < or =16 microg/ml) when the drug was combined with 4, 2, or 1 microg of these penem inhibitors/ml. Protection against acute lethal bacterial infections with class A and C beta-lactamase- and ESBL-producing organisms in mice was also demonstrated with piperacillin plus inhibitor. Median effective doses were reduced by approximately two- to eightfold compared to those of piperacillin alone when the drug was combined with the various inhibitors at a 4:1 ratio. Pharmacokinetic analysis after intravenous administration of the various inhibitors showed mean residence times of 0.1 to 0.5 h, clearance rates of 15 to 81 ml/min/kg, and volumes of distribution between 0.4 and 2.5 liters/kg. The novel methylidene penem molecules inhibit both class A and class C enzymes and warrant further investigation for potential as therapeutic agents when used in combination with a beta-lactam antibiotic.