Pr. Brodfuehrer et al., AN EFFICIENT FISCHER INDOLE SYNTHESIS OF AVITRIPTAN, A POTENT 5-HT1D RECEPTOR AGONIST, Journal of organic chemistry, 62(26), 1997, pp. 9192-9202
An efficient synthesis of the antimigraine drug candidate avitriptan (
1, BMS 180048) is reported. The key step is a two-phase Fischer indoli
zation reaction between hydrazine 6 and 5-chlorovaleraldehyde, 20, to
give the chloropropylindole 35, which is susceptible to acid-catalyzed
degradation under the reaction conditions required for its formation.
Sequential coupling of 35 with piperazine, 26, and 4-chloro-5-methoxy
pyrimidine, 24, gives the title compound in 40-45% overall yield. Sign
ificant improvements in the syntheses of the known starting materials,
hydrazine 6, 5-chlorovaleraldehyde, 20, and 4-chloro-5-methoxypyrimid
ine, 24, were also achieved.