EDP-938, a novel nucleoprotein inhibitor of respiratory syncytial virus, demonstrates potent antiviral activities in vitro and in a non-human primate model.

EDP-938 is a novel non-fusion replication inhibitor of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It is highly active against all RSV-A and B laboratory strains and clinical isolates tested in vitro in various cell lines and assays, with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50s) of 21, 23 and 64 nM against Long (A), M37 (A) and VR-955 (B) strains, respectively, in the primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). EDP-938 inhibits RSV at a post-entry replication step of the viral life cycle as confirmed by time-of-addition study, and the activity appears to be mediated by viral nucleoprotein (N). In vitro resistance studies suggest that EDP-938 presents a higher barrier to resistance compared to viral fusion or non-nucleoside L polymerase inhibitors with no cross-resistance observed. Combinations of EDP-938 with other classes of RSV inhibitors lead to synergistic antiviral activity in vitro. Finally, EDP-938 has also been shown to be efficacious in vivo in a non-human primate model of RSV infection.

Hydroxyl-Directed Cross-Coupling: A Scalable Synthesis of Debromohamigeran E and Other Targets of Interest.

A hydroxyl functional group positioned ß to a pinacol boronate can serve to direct palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. This feature can be used to control the reaction site in multiply borylated substrates and can activate boronates for reaction that would otherwise be unreactive.

Synthesis of 5'-O-DMT-2'-O-TBS Mononucleosides Using an Organic Catalyst.

This unit describes a highly effective method to produce 5'-O-DMT-2'-O-TBS mononucleosides selectively using a small organic catalyst. This methodology avoids the tedious protection/deprotection strategy necessary to differentiate the 2'- and 3'-hydroxyl groups in a ribonucleoside. The catalyst was synthesized in two steps, starting from the condensation of valinol and cyclopentyl aldehyde, followed by anionic addition of N-methylimidazole. Ring closure of the amino alcohol with N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal in methanol furnishes the catalyst. All four 2'-O-TBS protected mono-nucleosides, U, A(Bz), G(Ib), and C(Ac), were produced in a single step using 10 to 20 mol% of the catalyst at room temperature with excellent yields and selectivity. Further transformation to phosphoramidite demonstrates the utility of this protocol in the preparation of monomers useful for automated synthesis of RNA.

Distal-selective hydroformylation using scaffolding catalysis.

In hydroformylation, phosphorus-based directing groups have been consistently successful at placing the aldehyde on the carbon proximal to the directing group. The design and synthesis of a novel catalytic directing group are reported that promotes aldehyde formation on the carbon distal relative to the directing functionality. This scaffolding ligand, which operates through a reversible covalent bond to the substrate, has been applied to the diastereoselective hydroformylation of homoallylic alcohols to afford δ-lactones selectively. Altering the distance between the alcohol and the olefin revealed that homoallylic alcohols gives the distal lactone with the highest levels of regioselectivity.

Hydroxyl-directed stereoselective diboration of alkenes.

An alkoxide-catalyzed directed diboration of alkenyl alcohols is described. This reaction occurs in a stereoselective fashion and is demonstrated with cyclic and acyclic homoallylic and bishomoallylic alcohol substrates. After oxidation, the reaction generates 1,2-diols such that the process represents a method for the stereoselective directed dihydroxylation of alkenes.

Practical silyl protection of ribonucleosides.

Herein we report the site-selective silylation of the ribonucelosides. The method enables a simple and efficient procedure for accessing suitably protected monomers for automated RNA synthesis. Switching to the opposite enantiomer of the catalyst allows for the selective silylation of the 3'-hydroxyl, which could be used in the synthesis of unnatural RNA or for the analoging of ribonucelosides. Lastly, the procedure was extended to ribavirin a potent antiviral therapeutic.