Structure Elucidation of Poly-Faldaprevir: Polymer Backbone Solved Using Solid-State and Solution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

A large-scale synthesis of the hepatitis C virus drug Faldaprevir revealed precipitation of an unknown insoluble solid from methanol solutions of the drug substance. The unknown impurity was determined to be a polymer of Faldaprevir based on analytical methods that included size exclusion chromatography in combination with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight, ultracentrifugation, elemental analysis, and sodium quantitation by atom absorption spectroscopy. Structure elucidation of the polymeric backbone was achieved using solid-state NMR cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS), cross polarization-polarization inversion, and heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) experiments. The polymerization was found to occur at the vinyl cyclopropane via a likely free radical initiation mechanism. Full proton and carbon chemical shift assignments of the polymer were obtained using solution NMR spectroscopy. The polymer structure was corroborated with chemical synthesis of the polymer and solution NMR analysis.