Enantioselective Synthesis of β-l-5-[(E)-2-Bromovinyl)-1-((2 S,4 S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-(dioxolane-4-yl) Uracil)] (l-BHDU) via Chiral Pure l-Dioxolane

J Org Chem. 2024 Jul 5;89(13):9313-9321. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c00399. Epub 2024 Jun 20.

Abstract

β-l-5-((E)-2-Bromovinyl)-1-((2S,4S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-(dioxolane-4-yl) uracil (l-BHDU, 17) is a potent and selective inhibitor of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). l-BHDU (17) has demonstrated excellent anti-VZV activity and is a preclinical candidate to treat chickenpox, shingles (herpes zoster), and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infections. Its monophosphate prodrug (POM-l-BHDU-MP, 24) demonstrated an enhanced pharmacokinetic and antiviral profile. POM-l-BHDU-MP (24), in vivo, effectively reduced the VZV viral load and was effective for the topical treatment of VZV and HSV-1 infections. Therefore, a viable synthetic procedure for developing POM-l-BHDU-MP (24) is needed. In this article, an efficient approach for the synthesis of l-BHDU (17) from a readily available starting material is described in 7 steps. An efficient and practical methodology for both chiral pure l- & d-dioxolane 11 and 13 were developed via diastereomeric chiral amine salt formation. Neutralization of the amine carboxylate salt of l-dioxolane 10 provides enantiomerically pure l-dioxane 11 (ee ≥ 99%). Optically pure 11 was utilized to construct the final nucleoside l-BHDU (17) and its monophosphate ester prodrug (POM-l-BHDU-MP, 24). Notably, the reported process eliminates expensive chiral chromatography for the synthesis of chiral pure l- & d-dioxolane, which offers avenues for the development and structure-activity relationship studies of l- & d-dioxolane-derived nucleosides.

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents* / chemical synthesis
  • Antiviral Agents* / chemistry
  • Antiviral Agents* / pharmacology
  • Dioxolanes* / chemical synthesis
  • Dioxolanes* / chemistry
  • Dioxolanes* / pharmacology
  • Molecular Structure
  • Prodrugs / chemical synthesis
  • Prodrugs / chemistry
  • Prodrugs / pharmacology
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Uracil / analogs & derivatives
  • Uracil / chemical synthesis
  • Uracil / chemistry
  • Uracil / pharmacology

Substances

  • Dioxolanes
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Uracil
  • Prodrugs