The antiviral drug nirmatrelvir is the active ingredient in Paxlovid, a SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor developed by Pfizer, however, its synthetic procedure faces limitations for meeting urgent demand. Here, the authors optimize the key synthetic steps and develop a sustainable route to nirmatrelvir in 7 steps and 3 pots with an overall 70% yield.
- Joseph R. A. Kincaid
- Juan C. Caravez
- Bruce H. Lipshutz
