A Comprehensive Review on Chemistry and Biology of Tafamidis in Transthyretin Amyloidosis

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy and Transthyretin amyloid peripheral neuropathy are progressive disease conditions caused by Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) fibril infiltration in the tissue. Transthyretin (TTR) protein misfolding and amyloid fibril deposits are pathological biomarkers of ATTR-related disorders. There are various treatment strategies targeting different stages in pathophysiology. One such strategy is TTR tetramer stabilization. Recently, a new TTR tetramer stabilizer, tafamidis, has been introduced that reduces the protein misfolding and amyloidosis and, consequently, disease progression in ATTR cardiomyopathy and peripheral neuropathy. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on tafamidis discovery, development, synthetic methods, pharmacokinetics, analytical methods and clinical trials. Overall, 7 synthetic methods, 5 analytical methods and 23 clinical trials have been summarized from the literature.

Pd-catalyzed Ligand-Free ortho-Deuteration of Aromatic Carboxylic Acids with D2O

A ligand-free, palladium-catalyzed ortho-deuteration of aromatic carboxylic acid was developed using D2O as deuterium-source. Compared to their meta-substituted analogues, an unusually lower reactivity in para- and ortho-substituted benzoic acids toward hydrogen isotope exchange was observed. Further investigation revealed that the reaction temperature is a critical parameter for the reactivity, and the modified condition can afford deuterated products with good to excellent deuterium-incorporation.

Exploration of Biaryl Carboxylic Acids as Proton Shuttles for the Selective Functionalization of Indole C-H Bonds

A survey of diversely substituted 2-arylbenzoic acids were synthesized and tested for use as proton shuttle in the direct arylation of indoles with bromobenzenes. It was found that 3-ethoxy-2-phenylbenzoic acid gives superior yield and selectivity for this class of substrates.

Selective Reductive Removal of Ester and Amide Groups from Arenes and Heteroarenes through Nickel-Catalyzed C-O and C-N Bond Activation

An inexpensive nickel(II) catalyst and a hydrosilane were used for the efficient reductive defunctionalization of aryl and heteroaryl esters through a decarbonylative pathway. This versatile method could be used for the removal of ester and amide functional groups from various organic molecules. Moreover, a scale-up experiment and a synthetic application based on the use of a removable carboxylic acid directing group highlight the usefulness of this reaction.

Carboxylic Acids as Directing Groups for C-H Bond Functionalization

The selective transformation of C-H bonds is one of the most desirable approaches to creating complexity from simple building blocks. Several directing groups are efficient in controlling the regioselectivity of catalytic C-H bond functionalizations. Among them, carboxylic acids are particularly advantageous, since they are widely available in great structural diversity and at low cost. The carboxylate directing groups can be tracelessly cleaved or may serve as the anchor point for further functionalization through decarboxylative couplings. This Minireview summarizes the substantial progress made in the last few years in the development of reactions in which carboxylate groups direct C-H bond functionalizations with formation of C-C, C-O, C-N, or C-halogen bonds at specific positions. It is divided into sections on C-C, C-O, C-N, and C-halogen bond formation, each of which is subdivided by reactions and product classes. Particular emphasis is placed on methods that enable multiple derivatizations by combining carboxylate-directed C-H functionalization with decarboxylative couplings.