Levonorgestrel → Norelgestromin (USAN:INN:BAN)

Participants

Reaction Steps

Hungarian Patent No. 165356 describes the synthesis of dl- as well as d-norgestrel. The starting material of the synthesis is the racemic or the optically active 13-ethyl-3-methoxygona-2,5(10)-diene-17β-ol, which is reacted with hydroxylammonium chloride in pyridine at 100° C. Then the obtained 13-ethyl-3-(hydroxyimino)-gon-4-ene-17β-ol is oxidized at position 17, followed by ethinylation of the oxo group at position 17, to give the dl-(17α)-13-ethyl-17-hydroxy-18,19-dinorpregn-4-ene-20-yn-3-one-oxime, or norelgestromin. Although the synthesis of the intermediates, the dl-(17α)-13-ethyl-17-hydroxy-18,19-dinorpregn-4-ene-20-yn-3-one-oxime and norelgestromin, are described, the identification and the purity (the quality requirements) as well as the pharmacological activity of these compounds are not provided.

Provenance & Evidence