A Novel Scheme for the Synthesis of 21-Acetoxypregna-1,4,9(11)-triene- 17α,21-diol-3,20-dione from 9α-Hydroxyandrostenedione

Background: Vietnam currently imports up to 90% of the pharmaceuticals it consumes and 100% of the steroid-based pharmaceuticals. The ability for efficient chemical synthesis of the steroids could create commercial opportunities to address this issue. Synthesis of 21-acetoxypregna-1,4,9(11)- triene-17α,21-diol-3,20-dione is considered a key intermediate in the scheme of steroidal drug synthesis. Previous synthesis attempts of such steroids (corticoids) introduce a double bond at C-1(2) in the final stage of synthesis, which delivers a poor yield and reduces the economic efficiency of the process. Objective: To study and develop a novel and effective method for the synthesis of 21-acetoxypregna- 1,4,9(11)-triene-17α,21-diol-3,20-dione. Methods: Using 9α-hydroxyandrostenedione as a substrate chemical synthesis was performed as follows: pregnane side chain construction at C-17 (acetylene method), introduction of C-1(2) double bond (using SeO2), epimerization of C-17 (via 17-ONO2 ester) and Stork’s iodination. Results: 21-acetoxypregna-1,4,9(11)-triene-17α,21-diol-3,20-dione was prepared from 9α- hydroxyandrostenedione with an improved yield compared to previous attempts. Conclusion: Here, 21-acetoxypregna-1,4,9(11)-triene-17α,21-diol-3,20-dione has been synthesized from 9α-hydroxyandrostenedione based on a novel, effective and commercially feasible scheme. The introduction of the C-1(2) double bond at an earlier stage of the synthesis has increased the economic efficiency of the entire process. For the first time, the indirect epimerization mechanism has been clarified along with the configuration of the C-17 stereo-center which has been confirmed using NOESY data.