A Concise Synthesis of Pyrrole-Based Drug Candidates from α-Hydroxyketones, 3-Oxobutanenitrile, and Anilines

A simple and concise three-component synthesis of a key pyrrole framework was developed from the reaction between α-hydroxyketones, oxoacetonitriles, and anilines. The synthesis was used to obtain several pyrrole-based drug candidates, including COX-2 selective NSAID, antituberculosis lead candidates BM212, BM521, and BM533, as well as several analogues. This route has potential to obtain diverse libraries of these pyrrole candidates in a concise manner to develop optimum lead compounds.