Aclomethasone dipropionate

Halogenation of the 7 position also proves compatible with good antiinflammatory activity. Construction of this compound, aclomethasone dipropionate (80), starts by introduction of the required unsaturation at the 6,7 position by dehydrogenation with DDQ (76). The highly hindered nature of the hydroxyl at position 17 requires that a roundabout scheme be used for formation of the corresponding ester. Thus treatment of 76 with ethyl orthoformate affords first the cyclic orthoformate This then rearranges to the 17 ester on exposure to acetic acid. Acylation of the 21 alcohol is accomplished in straightforward fashion with... 

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