Synthesis of 5-(1-H or 1-alkyl-5-oxopyrrolidin-3-yl)-8-hydroxy-[1,6]-naphthyridine-7-carboxamide inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase.

HIV-1 integrase catalyzes the insertion of viral DNA into the genome of the host cell. Integrase inhibitor N-(4-fluorobenzyl)-8-hydroxy-1,6-naphthyridine-7-carboxamide selectively inhibits the strand transfer process of integration. 4-Substituted pyrrolidinones possessing various groups on the pyrrolidinone nitrogen were introduced at the 5-position of the naphthyridine scaffold. These analogs exhibit excellent activity against viral replication in a cell-based assay. The preparation of these compounds was enabled by a three-step, two-pot reaction sequence from a common butenolide intermediate.