Practical asymmetric synthesis of a gamma-secretase inhibitor exploiting substrate-controlled intramolecular nitrile oxide-olefin cycloaddition

A practical asymmetric synthesis of the gamma-secretase inhibitor (-)-1 is described. As the key transformation, a highly diastereoselective intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition forms the hexahydrobenzisoxazole core of 3 in four operations. Other aspects of the route include a highly stereoselective reduction of an isoxazole to form a cis-gamma-amino alcohol, an efficient chemical resolution, a dianion cyclization to construct a sultam ring, and the alpha-alkylation of a sultam with excellent diastereoselectivity. In each instance, the relative stereochemistry was evolved by way of substrate-based induction with > or = 96% ds. Kilogram quantities of the targeted drug candidate (-)-1 were obtained, without recourse to chromatography, by way of 10 isolated intermediates and in 13% overall yield.