Telescoped Process to Manufacture 6,6,6-Trifluorofucose via Diastereoselective Transfer Hydrogenation: Scalable Access to an Inhibitor of Fucosylation Utilized in Monoclonal Antibody Production.

IgG1 monoclonal antibodies with reduced glycan fucosylation have been shown to improve antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by allowing more effective binding of the Fc region of these proteins to T cells receptors. Increased in vivo efficacy in animal models and oncology clinical trials has been associated with the enhanced ADCC provided by these engineered mAbs. 6,6,6-Trifluorofucose (1) is a new inhibitor of fucosylation that has been demonstrated to allow the preparation of IgG1 monoclonal antibodies with lower fucosylation levels and thus improve the ADCC of these proteins.

Iodide-catalyzed reductions: development of a synthesis of phenylacetic acids.

A new convenient and scalable synthesis of phenylacetic acids has been developed via the iodide catalyzed reduction of mandelic acids. The procedure relies on in situ generation of hydroiodic acid from catalytic sodium iodide, employing phosphorus acid as the stoichiometric reductant.

3-Oxo-2-piperazinyl acetamides as potent bradykinin B1 receptor antagonists for the treatment of pain and inflammation.

The discovery of novel and highly potent oxopiperazine based B1 receptor antagonists is described. Compared to the previously described arylsulfonylated (R)-3-amino-3-phenylpropionic acid series, the current compounds showed improved in vitro potency and metabolic stability. Compound 17, 2-((2R)-1-((4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl)-3-oxo-2-piperazinyl)-N-((1R)-6-(1-piperidinylmethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthalenyl)acetamide, showed EC(50) of 10.

Reversal of diastereofacial selectivity in hydride reductions of N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines.

A variety of N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines were reduced with NaBH4 in THF containing 2% water to provide the corresponding secondary sulfinamides in high yield and diastereoselectivity. By using the same sulfinyl imine starting materials and changing the reductant to L-Selectride, the stereoselectivity could be efficiently reversed to afford the opposite product diastereomer in high yield and selectivity.

"Matched/mismatched" diastereomeric dirhodium(II) carboxamidate catalyst pairs. Structure-selectivity correlations in diazo decomposition and hetero-Diels-Alder reactions.

Homo-ligated dirhodium(II) carboxamidates provide well-defined structural frameworks with which to investigate catalyst-controlled multiple asymmetric induction ("match/mismatch" effects). Diastereomeric pairs of methyl 2-oxoimidazolidine-4(S)-carboxylate ligands containing 2-phenylcyclopropane (4S,2'S,3'S-HMCPIM and 4S,2'R,3'R-HMCPIM) and N-benzenesulfonylproline (4S,2'S-HBSPIM and 4S,2'R-HBSPIM) attachments at the 1-N-acyl site have been prepared; the resulting (cis-2,2)-Rh(2)L(4) compounds have been produced in good yields, and the X-ray crystal structure of each dirhodium(II) compound has been obtained. The incorporation of additional stereocenters into the dirhodium(II) ligands leads to recognizable levels of double asymmetric induction for C-H insertion, cyclopropanation, and hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition applications.

Stereoselective bis-functionalizations of arene chromium tricarbonyl complexes via brook rearrangements.

[reaction: see text] An efficient method has been developed for the stereoselective bis-functionalization of arene chromium tricarbonyl complexes. Initial nucleophilic addition of organolithium reagents to a carbonyl moiety is followed by a 1,4-carbon to oxygen silyl migration (Brook rearrangement) and alkylation of the resultant aryl anion.