# A Novel Approach for the Synthesis of Peripherally Acting Dual Target Inhibitor of Cannabinoid-1 (CB1 Receptor) and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) (S-MRI-1867/Zevaquenabant)

## TL;DR

This paper presents a new method to synthesize a drug that targets two molecules involved in inflammation and metabolism.

## Contribution

A novel synthetic route using a chiral thio-substituted leaving group for efficient enantiopure compound production.

## Key findings

- The method uses a Bunte-salt reaction to create diastereomeric compounds.
- The approach enables rapid assembly of chiral sulfonyl amino compounds.
- The synthesized drug is a potent CB1R antagonist and iNOS inhibitor.

## Abstract

Zevaquenabant (S-MRI-1867) is a clinical-stage agent that is a peripherally restricted, potent antagonist of CB1R and an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase. A novel synthetic route to this highly selective active pharmaceutical agent is described in this paper. This route makes use of rationally installed chiral thio-substituted leaving group derived from a Bunte-salt reaction approach to yield diastereomeric compounds which are further processed to enantiopure compounds. The method will enable a rapid assembly of a variety of chiral sulfonyl amino compounds in this series.