Use of Lipase Catalytic Resolution in the Preparation of Ethyl (2S,5R)-5-((Benzyloxy)amino)piperidine-2-carboxylate, a Key Intermediate of the β-Lactamase Inhibitor Avibactam

Here we describe an efficient and cost-effective chemoenzymatic synthesis of the β-lactamase inhibitor avibactam starting from commercially available ethyl 5-hydroxypicolinate hydrochloride. Avibactam was synthesized in 10 steps with an overall yield of 23.9%. The synthetic route features a novel lipase-catalyzed resolution step during the preparation of (2S,5S)-ethyl 5-hydroxypiperidine-2-carboxylate, a valuable precursor of the key intermediate ethyl (2S,5R)-5-((benzyloxy)amino)piperidine-2-carboxylate. Our synthetic route was used to produce 400 g of avibactam sodium salt.