Drug synthesis enantiomeric excess

Although very efficient, the broad application of the direct preparation is restricted due to the limited number of pure starting enantiomers. The design of a multistep process that includes asymmetric synthesis is cumbersome and the development costs may be quite high. This approach is likely best suited for the multi-ton scale production of commodity enantiomers such as the drugs ibuprofen, naproxen, atenolol, and albuterol. However, even the best asymmetric syntheses do not lead to products in an enantiomerically pure state (100 % enantiomeric excess). Typically, the product is enriched to a certain degree with one enantiomer. Therefore, an additional purification step may be needed to achieve the required enantiopurity. 

Antimalarials Mefloquine is a major drug for malaria, in particular, for chloroquine-resistant malaria." However, some cases of neuropsychiatric adverse events and the apparition of resistance tend to limit its use. Metabolism into inactive and phototoxic 1 -7/-2-oxoquinoline is blocked by the presence of the CF3 group." Instead of performing the resolution of enantiomers at the end of the synthesis," the asymmetric reduction of the carbonyl group in the presence of ruthenium catalyst and a chiral diphosphine provided mefloquine with an excellent enantiomeric excess (Figure 8.25). °... 

In a similar approach, Kasture and coworkers describe the use of neat substrate (ethyl acetate both as alcohol donor and as the reaction medium) in the preparation of chirally pure S-(-)-l,4-benzodioxan-2-carboxylate, an important drug intermediate used in the synthesis of doxazosin mesylate, from racemic l,4-benzodioxan-2-carboxylic acid [138]. Again, CaLB catalyzed the transesterification reaction with good enanhoselectivity (E = 160) and acceptable enantiomeric excess (>95%) and chemical yield (50%). 

To test the feasibility of enzyme-catalyzed enantiosective reactions in solid/gas reactors and to evaluate the efficiency of the resolution obtained in the gas phase compared to liquid systems, resolution of racemic 2-pentanol, catalyzed by CALB, through alcoholysis with methyl propanoate as acyl donor has been investigated in both liquid media and the gas phase [24]. As CALB has an enantiopreference for R enantiomers of secondary alcohols, this last reaction leads to S-2-Pentanol. This compound is a chiral intermediate in the synthesis of several potential anti-Alzheimer s drugs that inhibit 3-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis [25]. The degree of enantioselectivity was measured by using the enantiomeric ratio E, which is defined as the ratio of the specificity constants kcat/KM for the enantiomers (R/S in this case). E can be determined from the enantiomeric excess of... 

During the development of rivaroxaban 1, Pleiss et al. at Bayer Health Care prepared [14C]-radiolabeled rivaroxaban,22 which was required for clinical studies of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME studies). The approach taken for the synthesis of l4C labeled rivaroxaban 38 relies on the previously reported synthesis. In the presence of EDC HCl and HOBT, 4- 4-[5S)-5-(aminomethyl)-2-oxo-l,3-oxazolidin-3-yl]phenyl -morpholin-3-one 22 was coupled with 5-chloro-2-thiophene [14C]-carboxylic acid 37 and was purified using chiral HPLC to afford the [l4C]-radiolabelled rivaroxaban 38 in 85% yield with high chemical and radiochemical purity and with an enantiomeric excess of > 99% ee (Scheme 5). Meanwhile, the metabolite M-4 of rivaroxaban (compound 39) was prepared from 5-chlorothiophenecarboxylic acid chloride 23 and [14C]glycine in 77% yield (Scheme 6). 

R)-3-Hydroxy-2-methyl propionic acid, an important building block for the synthesis of the widely used antihypertensive drug captopril, was obtained with 97% enantiomeric excess (e.e.) and 100% molar conversion by microbial oxidation of prochiral 2-methyl -1,3-propandiol with Acetobacter pasteurianus [25]. 

One commercial synthesis of naproxen (the active ingredient in Aleve and a score of other over-the-counter and prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug preparations) gives the enantiomer shown in 97% enantiomeric excess. 

Prize in Chemistry. (The other half of the 2001 prize was awarded to W. Knowles and R. Noyori for their development of catalytic asymmetric reduction reactions see Section 7.14A.) The following reaction, involved in an enantioselective synthesis of the side chain of the anticancer drug paclitaxel (Taxol), serves to illustrate Sharpless s catalytic asymmetric dihydroxylation. The example utilizes a catalytic amount of K20s02(0H)4, an OSO4 equivalent, a chiral amine ligand to induce enan-tioselectivity, and NMO as the stoichiometric co-oxidant. The product is obtained in 99% enantiomeric excess (ee) ... 

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