Prostate cancer androgen synthesis inhibitors

Long, B.J., D.N. Grigoryev, I.P Nnane, Y. Liu, Y.Z. Ling, and A.M. Brodie (2000). Antiandrogenic effects of novel androgen synthesis inhibitors on hormone-dependent prostate cancer. Cancer Res. 60, 6630-6640. 

Synthesis inhibitor—used in androgen receptor-positive prostate cancer. 

Abiraterone acetate 117 is an androgen biosynthesis inhibitor, which was developed by the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK and further developed by Janssen for the oral treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer [75]. Its synthesis is relatively easy through a Suzuki coupling between the 17-enol triflate derived from the 3-acetate of dehydro-epiandrosterone (115) and 3-pyridyl-diethylborane (116) (Scheme 27) [76]. The reaction is catalysed by PdCl2(PPh3)2 and proceeds in good yield (84%). A similar Suzuki-based route in which the ketone starting material was converted into an alkenyliodide has also been published [77]. 

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