A two-step synthesis of molnupiravir (1) is presented. This work focuses on the development of practical reaction and purification conditions toward a manufacturing route. The sequence commences from highly available cytidine (2), and molnupiravir is formed through direct hydroxamination of the cytosine ring and esterification of the sugar’s primary alcohol without use of protecting or activating groups. A highly crystalline hydrate of N-hydroxycytidine (3) resulted in an easily purified intermediate, and a practical, off-the-shelf enzyme was selected for the acylation. The yield was increased through a chemically promoted, selective ester cleavage, which converted a byproduct, molnupiravir isobutyryl oxime ester (4), into the final API. Both reactions proceed in >90% assay yield, and crystallization procedures are used to afford intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients in purities above 99% with an overall yield of 60%. Excellent throughput and sustainability are achieved by limiting the total concentration to 7 volumes of solvent in the course of the two reactions with an overall PMI of 26 including work-up and isolation. Environmentally friendly solvents, water and 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran, enhance sustainability of the operation.

The enantioselective formal total synthesis of (−)-quinagolide has been accomplished in a linear sequence of 8 purification steps from pyridine. The key steps are (a) organocatalyzed Diels–Alder reaction for fixing all three stereocenters on piperidine ring; (b) protecting group enabled deoxygenation of isoquinuclidine skeleton under Birch reduction condition; (c) Lewis acid (TiCl4) catalyzed intramolecular Friedel–Crafts cyclization of dicarboxylic acid; and (d) one-pot diastereoselective ketone reduction–intramolecular cyclization to form oxazolidinone which enables trans-geometry installation. During the course of the synthesis, an interesting reductive cleavage of the C–N bond in the electron-deficient isoquinuclidine skeleton under the Birch reduction conditions has been observed. This is the first synthetic effort to access the core skeleton of (−)-quinagolide.

The diastereoselective formal synthesis of (−)-quinagolide, a D2 receptor agonist, has been achieved. The synthesis started from l-pyroglutamic acid and relied on utilization of (a) a stereospecific catalytic hydrogenation and diastereoselective Horner–Emmons–Michael cascade to obtain functionalized prolinate, (b) a Lewis acid mediated Pummerer cyclization to construct a tricyclic fused ring system, and (c) a diastereoselective ring expansion via a bicyclic aziridinium intermediate to access the required 3-substituted piperidine scaffold.