Asymmetric Synthesis of a Key Intermediate for Tofacitinib via a Dynamic Kinetic Resolution-Reductive Amination Protocol

We report the first example of a catalytic asymmetric reductive amination under dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) conditions for the preparation of a chiral amine as a key intermediate toward Tofacitinib, an active pharmaceutical ingredient developed by Pfizer. Such a protocol allows the preferential formation of a single product out of four possible diastereomers of the chiral amine starting from the corresponding racemic ketone. The chiral iridium catalyst able to perform such a feast was discovered through a mix of high-throughput screening, racemization study, and reaction optimization.