An alternative synthesis of the lipophilic tail portion of abediterol using linear-selective hydroformylation

Abstract

Abediterol is a compound currently in development for the treatment of respiratory disease at AstraZeneca. In this work we employ hydroformylation, an under-utilised reaction in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates, as a key step to access the lipophilic amine portion of this molecule. The route described herein addresses some of the issues identified in the original route. Namely, hazardous materials are avoided and increased levels of control – from a process chemistry point of view – are demonstrated, with isolation of intermediates possible at multiple points in the synthesis. This work provides ‘proof-of-concept’ for an alternative synthetic route and provides high-quality material using a series of robust transformations.