Efficient Synthesis of 4-(3-Fluoro-5-{[4-(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzyl]oxy}phenyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-carboxamide, a Novel 5-Lipoxygenase Inhibitor

An efficient synthesis of 1, a novel orally active 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, was developed. Key features of the modified synthetic route include facile construction of the benzyl phenyl ether moiety by nucleophilic aromatic substitution and THP ring by cyclization, and base-promoted hydrolysis of the nitrile group to carboxamide. The improved three-step synthesis provides 25 g of 1 for pre-clinical toxicology studies in a total yield of 59%.