Pyrrolidine derivatives as oxytocin/vasopressin V1a receptors antagonists

1. A method of synthesizing a compound, (3Z,5S)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[(2′-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]pyrrolidin-3-one O-methyloxime, represented by formula (I)

said method comprising reducing a precursor, methyl (2S,4Z)-1-[(2′-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]-4-methoxyimino pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate, represented by formula (II)

thereby producing said compound represented by formula (I).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said precursor represented by formula (II) is present within a mixture comprising a diastereomer, methyl (2S,4E)-1-[(2′-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]-4-methoxyimino pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate, represented by formula (IIa)

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reducing comprises reacting said precursor represented by formula (II) with lithium borohydride.

4. The method of claim 3 , said method comprising reacting said precursor represented by formula (II) with said lithium borohydride in a solvent comprising methanol and tetrahydrofuran.

5. The method of claim 1 , said method comprising synthesizing said precursor represented by formula (II) by O-methylating a precursor represented by formula (III)

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said O-methylating comprises reacting said precursor represented by formula (III) with dimethyl sulfate.

7. The method of claim 6 , said method comprising reacting said precursor represented by formula (III) with said dimethyl sulfate in the presence of a base.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said base is potassium carbonate.

9. The method of claim 5 , said method comprising synthesizing said precursor represented by formula (III) by reacting a precursor represented by formula (IV)

with methoxyamine or a salt thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 , said method comprising reacting said precursor represented by formula (IV) with methoxyamine hydrochloride.

11. The method of claim 9 , said method comprising synthesizing said precursor represented by formula (IV) by oxidizing a precursor represented by formula (V)

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said oxidizing comprises reacting said precursor represented by formula (V) with pyridine-sulfur trioxide.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said precursor represented by formula (V) is a precursor represented by formula (Va)

14. The method of claim 13 , said method comprising synthesizing said precursor represented by formula (Va) by reacting a precursor represented by formula (VI)

with a precursor represented by formula (VII)

15. The method of claim 14 , said method comprising reacting said precursor represented by formula (VI) with said precursor represented by formula (VII) and potassium carbonate.

16. The method of claim 14 , said method comprising synthesizing said precursor represented by formula (VII) by reacting a precursor represented by formula (VIII)

with thionyl chloride.

17. The method of claim 16 , said method comprising synthesizing said precursor represented by formula (VIII) by coupling a precursor represented by formula (IX)

with a precursor represented by formula (X)

under Suzuki reaction conditions.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said coupling comprises reacting said precursor represented by formula (IX) with said precursor represented by formula (X) in the presence of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium.

19. A method of treating a human patient undergoing embryo transfer, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound, (3Z,5S)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[(2′-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]pyrrolidin-3-one O-methyloxime, represented by formula (I)

thereby reducing the likelihood of embryo implantation failure in said patient.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said embryo transfer comprises in vitro fertilization thereby producing one or more embryos, followed by transfer of said one or more embryos to said patient.

21. The method of claim 19 , said method comprising administering said compound represented by formula (I) to said patient orally, intravenously, or vaginally.

22. The method of claim 19 , said method comprising administering said compound represented by formula (I) to said patient in combination with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, diluents, or excipients.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein said compound has a purity that is at least in the range of from 85% to 99.9% with respect to a diastereomer of the formula (3E,5S)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[(2′-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]pyrrolidin-3-one O-methyloxime.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said compound has a purity of at least 90% with respect to a diastereomer of the formula (3E,5S)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[(2′-methyl-1, 1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]pyrrolidin-3-one O-methyloxime.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein said compound has a purity of at least 95% with respect to a diastereomer of the formula (3E,5S)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[(2′-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]pyrrolidin-3-one O-methyloxime.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein said compound has a purity of from about 95% to about 99.9% with respect to a diastereomer of the formula (3E,5S)-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[(2′-methyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]pyrrolidin-3-one O-methyloxime.