Synthesis of highly potent lymphocyte function‐associated antigen‐1 antagonists labeled with carbon‐14 and with stable isotopes,part 3

The drug candidates ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) are highly potent LFA‐1 inhibitors. They were efficiently prepared labeled with carbon‐14 using a palladium‐catalyzed carboxylation of an iodo‐precursor ( 5 ) and sodium formate‐¹⁴C to afford acid ¹⁴C]‐( 6 ), which was coupled via an amide bond to chiral amines ( 7 ) and ( 8 ) in 52% and 48% overall yield, respectively, and with specific activities higher than 56 mCi/mmol and radiochemical purities of 99%. For stable isotopes synthesis, the amine ²H₈]‐( 7 ) was synthesized in three steps from 2‐cyanopyridine‐²H₄ using Kulinkovich‐Szymonik aminocyclopropanation, followed by coupling to L ‐alanine‐2,3,3,3‐²H₄‐N‐t‐BOC, and then removal of the BOC‐protecting group. Amide bond formation with acid ( 6 ) gave ²H₈]‐( 2 ) in 36% overall yield. The amine ¹³C₄,¹⁵N]‐( 8 ) was obtained in two steps using L‐threonine‐¹⁴C₄,¹⁵N and then coupled to acid ¹³C]‐( 6 ) to give ¹³C₅,¹⁵N]‐( 3 ) in 56% overall yield.