Synthesis of novel entecavir analogues having 4′-cyano-6′′-fluoromethylenecyclopentene skeletons as an aglycone moiety as highly potent and long-acting anti-hepatitis B virus agent

Encouraged by our recent findings that 4′-cyano-deoxyguanosine (2), entecavir analogues 4 and 5 are highly potent anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) agents, we designed and synthesized 6 having a hybridized structure of 4 and 5. The chiral quaternary carbon portion at the 4′-position, which is substituted by cyano- and 5′-hydroxymethyl groups, was stereospecifically constructed by radical-mediated 5-exo-dig mode cyclization of 10. The introduction of the fluorine atom into the 6′′-position was achieved by radical-mediated stannylation of sulfide (E)-11 and subsequent electrophilic fluorination of (E)-12. The desired (E)-6 was obtained after the introduction of the guanine base into (E)-18 under Mitsunobu conditions and following global deprotection. The stereoisomer (Z)-6 was also prepared by the same procedure using (Z)-12. Compound (E)-6 showed highly potent anti-HBV activity (EC(50) = 1.2 nM) with favorable cytotoxicity (CC(50) = 93 μM).