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B. Küenburg, L. Czollner, J. Fröhlich, U. Jordis:
"Development of a pilot scale process for the anti-Alzheimer drug (-)-galanthamine using large-scale phenolic oxidative coupling and crystallisation-induced chiral conversion";
Organic Process Research & Development, 3 (6) (1999), 425 - 431.

(-)-Galanthamine has been synthesized using an efficient nine-step procedure, which in large scale affords 12.4 (6.7-19.1)% overall yield. The process improvements and optimization of each step are described. Notable steps include (i) an oxidative phenol coupling and (ii) crystn.-induced chiral conversion of ()-narwedine to (-)-narwedine. This is a practical and cost-effective synthesis of (-)-galanthamine which is amenable to pilot plant scale-up to afford sufficient material for use in clin. trials.
AN 1999:702728