Afatinib dimaleate

Description

Afatinib dimaleate was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013 for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Specifically, it was approved for patients presenting with metastatic NSCLC tumors which contain epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon deletions or exon 21 mutations. Afatinib dimaleate is a covalent inhibitor of ErbB tyrosine kinases (tyk), which downregulates ErbB signaling by irreversible binding of EGFR tyk binding sites. While no manufacturing route has been disclosed to date, the most scalable published route likely derives from two Boehringer Ingelheim patents.

The Uses of Afatinib dimaleate

Afatinib Dimaleate is a salt of Afatinib {BIBW 2992), an aminocrotonylamino-substituted quinazoline derivative used for treating cancer and diseases of the respiratory tract, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, bile duct, and gallbladder. An anilino-quinazoline that irreversibly inhibits EGFR and HER2 kinase activity.

Definition

ChEBI: Afatinib dimaleate is a maleate salt obtained by combining afatinib with two molar equivalents of maleic acid. Used for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. It has a role as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and an antineoplastic agent. It contains an afatinib.

General Description

Afatinib dimaleate is the dimaleate form of afatinib. It is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptors (ERBB RECEPTORS) and an anti-angiogenic agent. Afatinib dimaleate has anti-tumour activity and is mainly used for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (which has metastasised or spread to other parts of the body), or certain tumours with mutations in the EGFR gene and patients whose disease has worsened after platinum-based chemotherapy. It is also used for the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and gastric cancer.

Biological Activity

Afatinib dimaleate is an orally bioavailable and irreversible dual-specific inhibitor of the ErbB family (EGFR and HER2). IC50 are 0.4, 0.5, 10, 14, 1 nM for EGFR^L858R, EGFR^wt, EGFR ^L858R/T790M, ErbB2 (HER2) and ErbB4 (HER4), respectively. Afatinib dimaleate is available for cancer (esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and gastric cancer) studies.

Synthesis

Nitroquinazolinone (6), which is commercially available, was first chlorinated with phosphorous oxychloride (POCl3) followed by treatment with commercial 3-chloro-4-fluoroaniline (7) to afford SNAr adduct 8 in 90% yield over two steps. Sulfonylation to afford 9 (86%) and subsequent displacement with (S)-tetrahydrofuran- 3-ol gave 10 in 90% yield. Raney¨CNickel reduction of the nitro group delivered 11 in 97% yield, which set the stage for the final side-chain functionalization. 2-(Diethoxyphosphoryl) acetic acid and N,N0-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) were pre-mixed and added to aniline 11 to afford 12 in 70% isolated yield. Next, a Horner¨CWadsworth¨CEmmons homologation gave the (E)-olefin 13 in quantitative yield, followed by maleate salt formation (92%) to deliver the final API. The final five steps of this synthesis have been successfully demonstrated on multi-kilogram scale.

Storage

Store at -20°C