Lipase-Catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of Alcohols as Intermediates for the Synthesis of Heart Rate Reducing Agent Ivabradine

Ivabradine (Corlanor®), is a chiral benzocycloalkane currently employed and commercialized for the treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris and for the reduction in sinus tachycardia. The eutomer (S)-ivabradine is usually produced via chiral resolution of intermediates, by employing enantiopure auxiliary molecules or through preparative chiral HPLC separations. Recently, more sustainable biocatalytic approaches have been reported in literature for the preparation of the chiral amine precursor. In this work, we report on a novel biocatalyzed pathway, via a resolution study of a key alcohol intermediate used as a precursor of the chiral amine. After screening several enzymatic reaction conditions, employing different lipases and esterases both for the esterification and hydrolysis reactions, the best result was achieved with Pseudomonas cepacia Lipase and the final product was obtained in up to 96:4 enantiomeric ratio (e.r.) of an ivabradine alcohol precursor. This enantiomer was then efficiently converted into the desired amine in a facile three step synthetic sequence.

The Baran Synthesis of Ingenol

The early promise for the biological activity of the derivatives of ingenol 3 has been borne out by the clinical efficacy of the derived angelate, recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of actinic keratosis. Phil S. Baran of Scripps La Jolla envisioned (Science 2013, 341, 878) a route to 3 based on a rearrange­ment of 2, available by the Pauson–Khand cyclization of the allenyl alkyne 1. One of the partners for the preparation of 1 was available following the Sugai (Synlett 1997, 1297) procedure, by the Claisen rearrangement of triethyl orthopro­pionate 5 with the propargyl alcohol 4 to give 6. Reduction delivered a racemic mix­ture of alcohols. On exposure of the mixture to vinyl acetate and Pseudomonas cepacia lipase, the undesired enantiomer was selectively acetylated to 7, leaving residual 8 of high ee. IBX was found by the Scripps group to be effective at oxidizing 8 without racemization. The other component of 1 was prepared from the inexpensive (+)-3-carene 10. Chlorination followed by ozonolysis delivered 11, that was reduced to the enolate, then alkylated with methyl iodide. Exposure to LiHMDS gave a new enolate, that was added to the aldehyde 9 to give 12. Addition of ethynyl magnesium bromide to the now more open face of 12 proceeded with high diastereoselectivity. Selective silylation of the secondary alcohol followed by silylation of the tertiary alcohol set the stage for the Pauson–Khand cyclization. Following the Brummond protocol, 1 was cyclized to 2. Methyl magnesium bro­mide was added, again to the more open face of the ketone, to give a new tertiary alco­hol. Exposure to stoichiometric OsO4 converted the more available alkene to the cis diol, that was protected as its cyclic carbonate 13. A central challenge in the total synthesis of the ingenanes is the construction of the “inside–outside” skeleton. This was achieved by the pinacol rearrangement of 13 with BF3•OEt2, to give 14. All that remained to complete the synthesis was selective oxidation. Allylic oxi­dation with stoichiometric SeO2 installed the secondary alcohol, that was acety­lated to give 15. The other secondary alcohol was then freed, and dehydrated with the Martin sulfurane, to give 16. A last allylic oxidation completed the synthesis of ingenol 3.

Enantioselectivity and catalysis improvements of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase with Tyr and Asp modification

A concise strategy to improve the p-nitrophenyl palmitate catalytic activity and enantioselectivity towards secondary alcohols of PcL is described.