Biocatalytic Resolution of Bis-tetrahydrofuran Alcohol

A simple and efficient process has been developed to effect the kinetic resolution of the racemic alcohol 2 using immobilized lipase to afford the desired optically pure (R)-bis-tetrahydrofuran (bis-THF) alcohol 3, to facilitate the rapid progression of a clinical candidate. Rapid optimization and development of reproducible and scalable processes are essential to meet aggressive timeframes for preclinical, safety, and early clinical drug development. Process parameters were initially scoped and optimized using a combination of a rational bioprocess screening design and parallel microscale empirical studies, specifically accounting for scale-up and downstream processing considerations. The choices of reaction solvent, acyl donor, and immobilized biocatalyst proved to be critical factors in the design of a conveniently scalable and enantioselective enzymatic resolution process. The improved process was initially validated on 3-g and then 90-g scale in simple impeller-stirred reactors, exhibiting excellent reproducibility. This methodology was successfully implemented on a multikilogram scale to give the target alcohol 3 with >99% ee.