A Short History of the Discovery and Development of Naltrexone and Other Morphine Derivatives

Concise total synthesis of opioids

Morphine and related alkaloids are among the most representative natural medicines that have benefited human beings for over two centuries. Industrial manufacturing of these therapeutically valuable and structurally fascinating molecules...

Rhodium-Catalyzed C-H Alkenylation/Electrocyclization Cascade Provides Dihydropyridines That Serve as Versatile Intermediates to Diverse Nitrogen Heterocycles

Nitrogen heterocycles are present in approximately 60% of drugs, with nonplanar heterocycles incorporating stereogenic centers being of considerable interest to the fields of medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and synthetic methods development. Over the past several years, our laboratory has developed synthetic strategies to access highly functionalized nitrogen heterocycles with multiple stereogenic centers. This approach centers on the efficient preparation of diverse 1,2-dihydropyridines by a Rh-catalyzed C-H bond alkenylation/electrocyclization cascade from readily available α,β-unsaturated imines and alkynes. The often densely substituted 1,2-dihydropyridine products have proven to be extremely versatile intermediates that can be elaborated with high regioselectivity and stereoselectivity, often without purification or even isolation. Protonation or alkylation followed by addition of hydride or carbon nucleophiles affords tetrahydropyridines with divergent regioselectivity and stereoselectivity depending on the reaction conditions. Mechanistic experiments in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide a rationale for the high level of regiocontrol and stereocontrol that is observed. Further elaboration of the tetrahydropyridines by diastereoselective epoxidation and regioselective ring opening furnishes hydroxy-substituted piperidines. Alternatively, piperidines can be obtained directly from dihydropyridines by catalytic hydrogenation in good yields with high face selectivity.When trimethylsilyl alkynes or N-trimethylsilylmethyl imines are employed as starting inputs, the Rh-catalyzed C-H bond alkenylation/electrocyclization cascade provides silyl-substituted dihydropyridines that enable a host of new and useful transformations to different heterocycle classes. Protonation of these products under acidic conditions triggers the loss of the silyl group and the formation of unstabilized azomethine ylides that would be difficult to access by other means. Depending on the location of the silyl group, [3 + 2] cycloaddition of the azomethine ylides with dipolarophiles provides tropane or indolizidine privileged frameworks, which for intramolecular cycloadditions yield complex polycyclic products with up to five contiguous stereogenic centers. When different types of conditions are employed, loss of the silyl group can result in either rearrangement to cyclopropyl-fused pyrrolidines or to aminocyclopentadienes. Mechanistic experiments supported by DFT calculations provide reaction pathways for these unusual rearrangements.The transformations described in this Account are amenable to natural product synthesis and drug discovery applications because of the biological relevance of the structural motifs that are prepared, short reaction sequences that rely on readily available starting inputs, high regiocontrol and stereocontrol, and excellent functional group compatibility. For example, the methods have been applied to efficient asymmetric syntheses of morphinan drugs, including the opioid antagonist (-)-naltrexone, which is extensively used for the treatment of drug abuse.

Strategies for Developing κ Opioid Receptor Agonists for the Treatment of Pain with Fewer Side Effects

There is significant need to find effective, nonaddictive pain medications. κ Opioid receptor (KOPr) agonists have been studied for decades but have recently received increased attention because of their analgesic effects and lack of abuse potential. However, a range of side effects have limited the clinical development of these drugs. There are several strategies currently used to develop safer and more effective KOPr agonists. These strategies include identifying G-protein-biased agonists, developing peripherally restricted KOPr agonists without centrally mediated side effects, and developing mixed opioid agonists, which target multiple receptors at specific ratios to balance side-effect profiles and reduce tolerance. Here, we review the latest developments in research related to KOPr agonists for the treatment of pain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This review discusses strategies for developing safer κ opioid receptor (KOPr) agonists with therapeutic potential for the treatment of pain. Although one strategy is to modify selective KOPr agonists to create peripherally restricted or G-protein-biased structures, another approach is to combine KOPr agonists with μ, δ, or nociceptin opioid receptor activation to obtain mixed opioid receptor agonists, therefore negating the adverse effects and retaining the therapeutic effect.

Au-Catalyzed Synthesis of Thiopyrano[2,3-b]indoles Featuring Tandem Rearrangement and Hydroarylation

Gold(III)-catalyzed synthesis of 14-π electron heteroaromatic thiopyrano[2,3-b]indole is reported using conjugated enyne tethered indole sulfides, featuring skeletal rearrangement conjoined with intramolecular hydroarylation (via C3-H functionalization of the indole core) and oxidative aromatization. Subsequent Pd-catalyzed C-C coupling resulted in a 16-π electron heteroaromatic isothiochromeno[1,8,7-bcd]indole.