The alternative pathway (AP) of the complement system is a key contributor to the pathogenesis of several human diseases including age-related macular degeneration, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), and various glomerular diseases. The serine protease factor B (FB) is a key node in the AP and is integral to the formation of C3 and C5 convertase. Despite the prominent role of FB in the AP, selective orally bioavailable inhibitors, beyond our own efforts, have not been reported previously. Herein we describe in more detail our efforts to identify FB inhibitors by high-throughput screening (HTS) and leveraging insights from several X-ray cocrystal structures during optimization efforts. This work culminated in the discovery of LNP023 (41), which is currently being evaluated clinically in several diverse AP mediated indications.

The potential safety hazards associated with the Mizoroki–Heck cross-coupling of bromobenzenes with styrenes were evaluated. The heat output from the reaction in various solvents was comparable in a variety of solvents; however, the rate of reaction was significantly faster in the presence of water. Thermal stability evaluation of the postreaction mixtures in DMSO and 3:1 DMSO/water by differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the onset temperatures of thermal decomposition were significantly lower than that of neat DMSO. Evaluation of the substrate scope revealed that the substitution pattern on the bromobenzene did not affect the heat output. The reaction rate of electron-deficient bromobenzenes was slower than that of the electron-rich bromobenzenes. In general, substituted styrenes afforded similar magnitudes of exotherms; however, the reaction rate of bromobenzene with 2-methylstyrene was significantly slower than the other studied styrenes. The predicted heat of reaction using the density functional theory method, B3LYP, was in good agreement with the experimental data. Such excellent agreement suggests that this calculation method can be used as a preliminary tool to predict heat of reaction and avoid exothermic reaction conditions. In many of the studied cases, the maximum temperature of a synthesis reaction was considerably higher than the solvent boiling point and thermal decomposition onset temperatures when the reaction was performed in DMSO or 3:1 DMSO/water. It is crucial to understand the thermal stability of the reaction mixture to design the process accordingly and ensure the reaction temperature is maintained below the onset temperature of decomposition to avoid potential runaway reactions.

The BINOL-amidine organic catalyst 1 was previously shown to promote highly efficient enantioselective halolactonization reactions of olefinic acids. As part of these studies, it was discovered that the enantioenriched iodolactones could be easily converted into enantioenriched cis-1,2-disubstituted epoxides. This halolactonization-epoxidation sequence was applied to the synthesis of (+)-disparlure, which resulted in the shortest catalytic enantioselective synthesis to date, requiring only five steps and proceeding in 33% yield.

A general protocol is described for inducing enantioselective halolactonizations of unsaturated carboxylic acids using novel bifunctional organic catalysts derived from a chiral binaphthalene scaffold. Bromo- and iodolactonization reactions of diversely substituted, unsaturated carboxylic acids proceed with high degrees of enantioselectivity, regioselectivity, and diastereoselectivity. Notably, these BINOL-derived catalysts are the first to induce the bromo- and iodolactonizations of 5-alkyl-4(Z)-olefinic acids via 5-exo mode cyclizations to give lactones in which new carbon–halogen bonds are created at a stereogenic center with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. Iodolactonizations of 6-substituted-5(Z)-olefinic acids also occur via 6-exo cyclizations to provide δ-lactones with excellent enantioselectivities. Several notable applications of this halolactonization methodology were developed for desymmetrization, kinetic resolution, and epoxidation of Z-alkenes. The utility of these reactions is demonstrated by their application to a synthesis of precursors of the F-ring subunit of kibdelone C and to the shortest catalytic, enantioselective synthesis of (+)-disparlure reported to date.

The shortest synthesis to date of (±)-alstoscholarisine E was accomplished in seven linear steps from commercially available reagents and 15.2% overall yield. The approach features a tandem vinylogous Mannich reaction and hetero-Diels−Alder reaction to access the core. A novel tactic to induce diastereoselective reduction of the cyclic vinyl ether was discovered, and a mild procedure to form the bridged aminal ring by partial reduction of the lactam ring via iridium-catalyzed hydrosilylation was developed.

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We previously reported a bifunctional organic catalyst that promotes highly efficient enantioselective halolactonizations of a broad array of olefinic acids. As part of that work, we demonstrated the desymmetrization of a prochiral substrate through a catalytic enantioselective halolactonization, and we report herein the application of one such desymmetrization process to the syntheses of F-ring subunit synthons of (+)-kibdelone C.

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