Charles Pathirana

N-N migration of a carbamoyl group in a pyrazole derivative revealed by NMR

During a synthesis of 5‐amino‐4‐(6‐methoxy‐2‐methylpyridin‐3‐yl)‐3‐methyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carboxamide (see Schemeu20091), a side‐reaction produced 3‐amino‐4‐(6‐methoxy‐2‐methylpyridin‐3‐yl)‐5‐methyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carboxamide as a by‐product that forms an equilibrium with the target‐compound. The structure of the by‐product was elucidated by the interpretation of 1D and 2D (HMQC, HMBC) NMR data where 1H‐15u2009N HMBC correlations revealed the position of carbamoyl group attachment on the pyrazole. Comparison of structures of the target‐compound and the by‐product showed that the latter resulted from N‐N migration of the carbamoyl group in the target‐compound. Copyright

Enantioselective Synthesis of a γ-Secretase Modulator via Vinylogous Dynamic Kinetic Resolution

Two efficient asymmetric routes to γ-secretase modulator BMS-932481, under investigation for Alzheimers disease, have been developed. The key step for the first route involves a challenging enantioselective hydrogenation of an unfunctionalized trisubstituted alkene to establish the benzylic stereocenter, representing a very rare case of achieving high selectivity on a complex substrate. The second route demonstrates the first example of a vinylogous dynamic kinetic resolution (VDKR) ketone reduction, where the carbonyl and the racemizable stereocenter are not contiguous, but are conjugated through a pyrimidine ring. Not only did this transformation require both catalyst and substrate control to correctly establish the two stereocenters, but it also necessitated that the nonadjacent benzylic center of the ketone substrate be more acidic than that of the alcohol product to make the process dynamic. DFT computations aided the design of this novel VDKR pathway by reliably predicting the relative acidities of the intermediates involved.

Identification of by-products in support of process development of Muraglitazar.

Muraglitazar was being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb for the treatment for type 2 diabetes and dislipidemia. Process optimization included the minimization of the by-products. This endeavor was greatly facilitated by a clear understanding of by-product identity. By-products were isolated by preparative chromatography and identified using NMR and MS. The identified structures of the by-products provided useful information about the undesired side reactions, which were then minimized or eliminated by altering the reaction conditions appropriately. Copyright

Semi‐preparative LC‐SPE‐cryoflow NMR for impurity identifications: use of mother liquor as a better source of impurities

Unambiguous structural elucidation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) impurities is a particularly challenging necessity of pharmaceutical development, particularly if the impurities are low level (0.1% level). In many cases, this requires acquiring high‐quality NMR data on a pure sample of each impurity. High‐quality, high signal‐to‐noise (S/N) one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR data can be obtained using liquid chromatography‐solid phase extraction‐cryoflow NMR (LC‐SPE‐cryoflow NMR) with a combination of semi‐preparative column for separation and mother liquor as a source of concentrated impurities. These NMR data, in conjunction with mass spectrometry data, allowed for quick and unambiguous structural elucidations of four impurities found at low level in the crystallized API but found at appreciable levels in the mother liquor that was used as the source for these impurities. These data show that semi‐preparative columns can be used at lower than ideal flow rates to facilitate trapping of HPLC components for LC‐SPE‐cryoflow NMR analysis without compromising chromatographic resolution. Also, despite the complex chromatography encountered with the use of mother liquor as a source of impurities, acceptably pure analytes were obtained for acquiring NMR data for unambiguous structure elucidations. Copyright