Characterization of a trace by-product of the synthesis of the protease inhibitor tipranavir (PNU-140690)

TipranavirTM (PNU-140690) is a protease inhibitor under clinical investigation for the treatment of human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). During scale-up synthesis of clinical quantities of the bulk drug, a colored, transient by-product of the final coupling reaction was observed. Quantities of this colored, transient chemical species were too low (<<0.1%) for characterization by conventional spectroscopic methods. It was, however, possible to isolate sufficient material for characterization based on mass spectrometry and submicro inverse-detection gradient (SMIDG) nmr methods by methanol stripping of silica gel that had been used in purification of bulk drug. This process afforded an enriched feedstock from which small quantities of this highly colored and unstable (halflife < 18 hours in methanol and < 10 minutes in acetone) trace contaminant could be isolated by semi preparative reversed phase hplc. The impurity was identified as an unstable Zincke salt formed by the condensation of two molecules of the anilino precursor and the pyridine used as a base in the final step of the synthetic process. Following identification of this impurity, efforts were undertaken to engineer it out of the synthetic process.