Identification and preliminary characterization of a potent, safe, and orally efficacious inhibitor of acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1

A high-throughput screen against human DGAT-1 led to the identification of a core structure that was subsequently optimized to afford the potent, selective, and orally bioavailable compound 14. Oral administration at doses ≥0.03 mg/kg significantly reduced postprandial triglycerides in mice following an oral lipid challenge. Further assessment in both acute and chronic safety pharmacology and toxicology studies demonstrated a clean profile up to high plasma levels, thus culminating in the nomination of 14 as clinical candidate ABT-046.

A general method for palladium-catalyzed reactions of primary sulfonamides with aryl nonaflates

A general method for Pd-catalyzed sulfonamidation of aryl nonafluorobutanesulfonates (aryl nonaflates) is described. A biaryl phosphine ligand, t-BuXPhos, formed the most active catalyst, and K(3)PO(4) in tert-amyl alcohol was found to be the optimal base-solvent combination for the reaction. The reaction conditions were tolerant of various functional groups such as cyano, nitro, ester, aldehyde, ketone, chloride, carbamate, and phenol. Heterocyclic aryl nonaflates were found to be suitable coupling partners. High yields of the coupled products were obtained from the reactions between inherently disfavored substrates such as electron-rich nonaflates and electron-poor sulfonamides. Kinetic data suggest reductive elimination to be the rate-limiting step for the reaction. The only limitation of this methodology that we have identified is the inability of 2,6-disubstituted aryl nonaflates to efficiently participate in the reaction.

Catalytic asymmetric stetter reaction onto vinylphosphine oxides and vinylphosphonates

An intramolecular Stetter reaction of vinylphosphine oxides and vinylphosphonates has been developed. Treatment of an aldehyde with a nucleophilic N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst allows for addition of an acyl anion equivalent into a vinylphosphine oxide or vinylphosphonate Michael acceptor in yields up to 99% and ee values up to 96%.

Relevance today and tomorrow in medical education. A forum with a purpose

Students of today question the relevance of much of their formal education. In medical schools the concern is particularly with the relevance of the educational experience to the professional commitment in modern society. To engender discussion of the subject, California Medicine in its January issue printed eight essays by authors known to have keen interest in the subject. Readers in California and elsewhere are invited to take part in a continuation of the forum in succeeding issues. The following are contributions selected from those received to date. Others will be published in the months ahead. At an appropriate time the material will be collated and, if feasible, the distillate will be prepared in the form of a statement. If you have thoughts on the subject, just address them to the editors of California Medicine, 693 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California, 94102. Keep your essays short, please.