Dehydration and Stabilization of a Reactive Tertiary Hydroxyl Group in Solid Oral Dosage Forms of BMS-779788.

BMS-779788 contains a reactive tertiary hydroxyl attached to a weakly basic imidazole ring. Propensity of the carbinol toward dehydration to yield the corresponding alkene, BMS-779788-ALK, was evaluated. Elevated levels of BMS-779788-ALK were observed in excipient compatibility samples. Stability studies revealed that BMS-779788 degrades to BMS-779788-ALK in capsules and tablets prepared by both dry and wet granulation processes. An acid-catalyzed dehydration mechanism, in which the heterocyclic core contributes resonance stability to the cationic intermediate via charge transfer to the imidazole ring, was proposed. Therefore, neutralization via a buffered (pH 7.0) granulating solution was used to mitigate dehydration. Solution studies revealed degradation of BMS-779788 to BMS-779788-ALK over the pH range of 1-7.5. Reversibility was confirmed by initiating reactions with BMS-779788-ALK over the same pH range. Accordingly, a simple reversible scheme can be used to describe reactions initiated with either BMS-779788 or BMS-779788-ALK. To eliminate potential for charge delocalization across the heterocycle and probe the degradation mechanism, the imidazole ring of BMS-779788 was methylated (BMS-779788-Me). The propensity for acid-catalyzed dehydration was then evaluated. The acid stability of BMS-779788-Me confirmed that the heterocyclic core contributes to reactivity liability of the tertiary hydroxyl.

Preparation of the isomeric azaindoline family by intramolecular carbolithiation.

An operationally convenient, one-pot, three-step sequence has been developed that provides access to 3-substituted 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-azaindolines (2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrollopyridines) via intramolecular carbolithiation of the aryllithium derived from an appropriate (N,N-diallylamino)bromopyridine. Whereas cyclization proceeds as expected to give 1-allyl-3-methyl-4-azaindoline and 1-allyl-3-methyl-6-azaindoline following protonation of the 3-CH2Li group of the azaindoline, the isomeric 3-methyl-5-azaindoline and 3-methyl-7-azaindoline are generated as 3-methyl-N-allyl anions prior to quench with MeOH.