Graham G. A. Inglis

Expanding GSK's solvent selection guide – embedding sustainability into solvent selection starting at medicinal chemistry

Solvents make a large contribution to the environmental impact of manufacturing processes of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), as well as playing an important role in other chemical industries, with millions of tons used and disposed of each year. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has previously reported on the both the development of a GSK solvent selection guide and the incorporation of solvent life cycle inventory and assessment information. The GSK solvent selection guide has been further enhanced by: • Revising the assessments of factors that impact process safety, separating reactivity from fire and explosion rankings. • More than doubling the number of solvents in the guide, to a total of 110 from the initial 47. • Adding a customised solvent selection guide appropriate for medicinal chemistry and analytical laboratories. The new GSK solvent selection guide enables GSK scientists to objectively assess solvents and determine whether existing or new solvents brought to market as ‘greener’ alternatives truly represent a more sustainable choice or whether they are just addressing a single issue associated with sustainability.

Potent and long-acting dimeric inhibitors of influenza virus neuraminidase are effective at a once-weekly dosing regimen.

ABSTRACT Dimeric derivatives (compounds 7 to 9) of the influenza virus neuraminidase inhibitor zanamivir (compound 2), which have linking groups of 14 to 18 atoms in length, are approximately 100-fold more potent inhibitors of influenza virus replication in vitro and in vivo than zanamivir. The observed optimum linker length of 18 to 22 Å, together with observations that the dimers cause aggregation of isolated neuraminidase tetramers and whole virus, indicate that the dimers benefit from multivalent binding via intertetramer and intervirion linkages. The outstanding long-lasting protective activities shown by compounds 8 and 9 in mouse influenza infectivity experiments and the extremely long residence times observed in the lungs of rats suggest that a single low dose of a dimer would provide effective treatment and prophylaxis for influenza virus infections.

The discovery of a potent, intracellular, orally bioavailable, long duration inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase-GW311616A a development candidate

The discovery of a potent intracellular inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase which is orally active and has a long duration of action is described. The pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of a trans-lactam development candidate, GW311616A, are described.

Structurally simplified squalestatins: A convenient route to a 67-unsubstituted derivative

Abstract The squalestatin 1 , has been converted into the 6,7-unsubstituted analogue, 3 , via inversion of the alcohol at C7, selective removal of the α,β-unsaturated ester at C6 followed by a Corey-Hopkins deoxygenation of the generated 6 R ,7 S -diol.

The squalestatins: C-3 Decarboxylation studies and rearrangement to the 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane ring system

3-Decarboxy squalestatins 3 and 4 were synthesised via photolysis of t-butyl peroxyester 7. Lactol 10 was isolated unexpectedly from both HCl-dioxan cleavage of 8, a by-product of the photolysis, and attempted Barton decarboxylation of 6. In TFA under anhydrous conditions, 8 was converted to the tricyclic ether 11.

Intracellular inhibition of human neutrophil elastase by orally active pyrrolidine-trans-lactams

Described are the acylation binding of trans-lactam 1 to porcine pancreatic elastase, the selection of the SO2Me activating group for the lactam N which also confers metabolic stability in hamster liver microsomes, the introduction of aqueous solubility through the piperidine salt 9, the in vivo oral activity of 9 and its bioavailability, and the introduction of 9 as an intracellular neutrophil elastase inhibitor.

An extremely fast and efficient acylation reaction of alcohols with acid anhydrides in the presence of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate as catalyst

Alcohols are converted to esters in a fast, clean and efficient reaction with acid anhydrides in the presence of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate.

Synthesis and functionalization of 3-alkylidene-1,2-diazetidines using transition metal catalysis.

An efficient two-step synthesis of a wide range of 3-methylene-1,2-diazetidines has been developed through application of a Cu(I)-catalyzed 4-exo ring closure. The double bond of this new class of strained heterocycle can be functionalized in a stereocontrolled manner by using palladium-catalyzed Heck reactions. Moreover, chemoselective reduction of 3-alkylidene-1,2-diazetidines gives access to saturated 1,2-diazetidines and vicinal diamines.

Semi-synthetic qualestatins: Squalene synthase inhibition and antifungal activity. The SAR of C6 and C7 modifications

Abstract We describe herein a protection/deprotection strategy that enables efficient transformation of natural Squalestatin S1 into C6 and C7 acyl analogues. We present the mammalian and fungal SQS enzyme activity and whole cell antifungal activity of the semi-synthetic Squalestatins.

Syntheses of templates derived from pyrrolidine trans-lactams as potential serine protease inhibitors

The synthesis of templates derived from pyrrolidine trans-lactams as potential serine protease inhibitors is described.