A convergent,scalable and stereoselective synthesis of azole CYP51 inhibitors

The study and development of azole-based CYP51 inhibitors is an active area of research across disciplines of biochemistry, pharmacology and infectious disease. Support of in vitro and in vivo studies require the development of robust asymmetric routes to single enantiomer products of this class of compounds. Herein, we describe a scalable and enantioselective synthesis to VNI and VFV, the two potent inhibitors of protozoan sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) that are currently under consideration for clinical trials for Chagas disease. A key transformation is the Jacobsen Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution (HKR) reaction. The utility of the synthetic route is illustrated by the preparation of >25 g quantities of single enantiomers of VNI and VFV.