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Oseltamivir is an important antiviral drug, which possess three chirality centers in its structure. From eight possible stereoisomers, only two have been synthesized and evaluated so far. We describe herein the stereoselective synthesis, computational activity prediction and biological testing of another three diastereoisomers of oseltamivir. These isomers have been synthesized using stereoselective organocatalytic Michael addition, cyclization and reduction. Their binding to viral neuraminidase N1 of influenza A virus was evaluated by quantum-chemical calculations and their anti-influenza activities were tested by an in vitro virus-inhibition assay. All three isomers displayed antiviral activity lower than that of oseltamivir, however, one of the stereoisomers, (3S,4R,5S)-isomer, of oseltamivir showed in vitro potency towards the Tamiflu-sensitive influenza viral strain A/Perth/265/2009(H5N1) comparable to Tamiflu.

To better understand structure-activity relationship (SAR) results, closely related to the structural features of (-)-Oseltamivir, four chiroptical methods, i.e. electronic circular dichroism (ECD), optical rotatory dispersion (ORD), vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), and Raman optical activity (ROA), utilizing different solvents, were employed in an effort to discover a set of the most probable conformations. Such multi-chiroptical approaches supported by quantum chemical calculations pointed out that different conformers are stable in chloroform, acetonitrile and water solutions of (-)-Oseltamivir. In this way, the most probable structures responsible for reported SAR results were established for the first time. It turned out that one of the predominant conformers in a solution is in excellent agreement with the X-ray analysis derived solid-state structure determined for (-)-Oseltamivir phosphate.

A stereodivergent plan is presented leading to all eight stereoisomers of oseltamivir carboxylate (OC). Key chemical manoeuvers are (1) a three-component vinylogous Mukaiyama-Mannich reaction, which sets the whole carbon skeleton and heteroatom substituents, and (2) an intramolecular, silylative Mukaiyama aldol reaction, which creates the targeted carbocycle. The viability of the plan was demonstrated by the first total synthesis of 4-epi-oseltamivir carboxylate (6), accessed in 15 steps from glyceraldehyde, o-anisidine and pyrrole siloxydiene precursors. Compound 6 inhibits influenza A virus strains H1N1 and H3N2 at the μM level, about 150 000-fold less than the OC reference, testifying that the stereodisposition of the C4 acetamido function is key for enzyme recognition. Guided by in-depth structural evaluation including NMR solution studies, molecular mechanics simulations, docking analyses and X-ray crystallography, rationalization of the biological verdict was established.

Using N-acetyl-D-glucosamine as a starting material, the anti-influenza drugs oseltamivir and tamiphosphor were synthesized via a pivotal intermediate of aldehyde 8. An intramolecular Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction was utilized to construct the highly functionalized cyclohexene ring. The existing N-acetyl group was transformed into an azido group for the subsequent aziridination, followed by implantation of a 3-pentoxy group of the desired stereochemistry.

A new enantioselective synthesis of the anti-influenza agent (-)-oseltamivir free base (7.1% overall yield; 98% ee) and (-)-methyl 3-epi-shikimate (16% overall yield; 98% ee) has been described from readily available raw materials. Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and diastereoselective Barbier allylation of an aldehyde are the key reactions employed in the incorporation of chirality, while the cyclohexene carboxylic ester core was constructed through a ring closing metathesis reaction.

A formal asymmetric synthesis of the antiviral agent (-)-oseltamivir phosphate is achieved using two aldol reactions as key steps.

The synthesis of conjugates of phospha-oseltamivir to the well established reporter groups fluorescein and biotin and an approach to multimeric inhibitors is described. We report powerful inhibition of the influenza neuraminidase by these probes and quantify fluorescence quenching during binding of the fluorescein conjugate through titration with the neuraminidase. Thus, we show that they could be useful tools to efficiently inhibit, detect and quantify the virus and the neuraminidase in biological systems.

A series of benzoate esters (methyl, ethyl, n-Pr, i-Pr, n-Bu, t-Bu, allyl, and propargyl) were subjected to enzymatic dihydroxylation by E. coli JM 109(pDTG 601) strain in a whole-cell fermentation. The cis-cyclohexadienediols were obtained in yields of approximately 1g/L except for n-propyl- and i-propyl benzoate which were found to be poor substrates. n-Butyl and t-butyl benzoates were not oxidized at all. The absolute stereochemistry for all metabolites was determined by comparison with a standard prepared from (1S-cis)-3-bromo-3,5-cyclohexadiene-1,2-diol, whose absolute configuration is well established. The free diols were found to be quite stable compared to other cis-dihydrodiols of this type, however, their acetonides underwent a dimerization via a regio- and stereoselective Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The diol derived from ethyl benzoate was subjected to a stereo- and regioselective inverse electron demand Diels-Alder cycloadditions with several dienophiles. The new adducts were completely characterized. The hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of this diol with an acyl nitroso dienophile yielded regio- and stereoselectively a bicyclic oxazine, which upon reduction provided a useful derivative of amino shikimate that can be exploited in an approach to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and other amino cyclitols. The diol was also converted to carba-alpha-L-galactopyranose to demonstrate its potential utility as a source of pseudo sugars. Experimental and spectral data are provided for all new compounds.

A novel synthetic route towards oseltamivir, an influenza neuraminidase inhibitor, has been achieved employing a cationic iron carbonyl complex, providing an alternate pathway with the potential to access diverse analogues.