Overall Synthesis of GSK356278: Quick Delivery of a PDE4 Inhibitor Using a Fit-for-Purpose Approach

The family of phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzymes hydrolyse cyclic nucleotides, cAMP and cGMP, leading to their inactivation as intracellular second messengers. Inhibition of these enzymes leads to an elevation of levels of cyclic nucleotides in the cell and prolongs their action on downstream signaling pathways. PDE4, of which there are four subtypes, is widely expressed throughout the brain but is also abundant in the periphery in inflammatory and immune cells, in the gastrointestinal tract, and in cardiac myocytes. GSK356278 1 is a potent, selective, and competitive inhibitor of PDE4 enzymes currently under investigation for the treatment of CNS disorders. The initial synthetic route developed by Medicinal Chemistry Department, used several hazardous and/or expensive reagents and harsh conditions and gave relatively low yields. By targeted process of research and development plus application of analytical techniques to identify byproduct and extensive route scouting, a novel synthetic route for 1 has been developed. This contribution reports the optimisation of the chemical synthesis of 1 to develop a large-scale process suitable for its synthesis.