Patent Description:
Carboprost and Carboprost Tromethamine (INN, trade names Hemabate, Tham), as shown in the following Scheme A, are both synthetic prostaglandin analogues of PGF2α (specifically, it is <NUM>-methyl-PGF2α) with oxytocic properties. Carboprost and Carboprost Tromethamine can induce contractions and trigger abortion in early pregnancy, and can also reduce postpartum bleeding.

Although the current regulations restrict the content of impurities in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) more and more stringently, almost all of the commercially available Carboprost and Carboprost Tromethamine still contain about <NUM>% <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomers and about <NUM>% <NUM>(R)-epimers. The following Scheme B illustrates the chemical structures of Carboprost and isomers thereof, i.e., <NUM>,<NUM>-trans Carboprost and <NUM>-epi Carboprost. It appears that the methods for mass production of Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine in industry have some problems to be solved, especially in constructing the steric orientations of the cisdouble bond at C5-C6 position and the tertiary alcohol at C15 position of Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine. It is also obvious that the current purification methods for removing the impurities of Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine are not effective and have to be improved.

Carboprost Tromethamine is the original product of Upjohn. The first scalable synthesis of Carboprost Tromethamine was described by chemists of Upjohn (<NPL>). As shown in the following Scheme C (<NUM>), the <NUM>-methyl substituent was constructed from the benzoyl γ-lactone-enone of Formula a with trimethylaluminum or with methylmagnesium bromide. However, the selectivity of the <NUM>(S)-product was only <NUM>% in both cases, which means that the process has no selectivity. <CIT> discloses that the alkylation of triethylsily γ-lactone-enone of Formula b and methylmagnesium chloride can obtain <NUM>(S)-product with a highest selectivity of <NUM>%, as shown in the following Scheme C (<NUM>). <CIT> discloses that the alkylation of p-phenylbenzoyl γ-lactone-enone of Formula c and methylmagnesium bromide can obtain <NUM>(S)-product with a selectivity of only <NUM>%, and it also discloses the use of various chiral additives in order to increase the selectivity of the <NUM>(S)-product, and found that the addition of (S)-Taddol can increase the selectivity to <NUM>%, as shown in the following Scheme C (<NUM>). However, the highest selectivity disclosed in <CIT> is at most the same as that disclosed in <CIT>.

<CIT> discloses that carrying out the Wittig reaction at ambient temperature and in the solvent of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as disclosed by Yankee et al. , will generate <NUM> to <NUM>% undesired <NUM>,<NUM> trans-isomer, as shown in the following Scheme D (<NUM>). <CIT> further discloses that the reaction at a lower temperature, i.e., from -<NUM> to +<NUM>, can reduce the content of the <NUM>,<NUM> trans-isomer to about <NUM>%, as shown in the following Scheme D (<NUM>). Given the above, since the commercially available Carboprost and Carboprost Tromethamine all contain about <NUM>% <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer, it seems that changing the reaction conditions of the Wittig reaction may be useless in further reducing the content of <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer generated therefrom.

As disclosed by <NPL>), the allylic tertiary alcohol at C15 position of Carboprost is very unstable; thus, just a few acids or a little heat will result in producing a large amount of <NUM>(R)-epimer rapidly via epimerization. Due to this reason, the current methods of mass production of Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine in industry do not construct the stereochemistry of allylic tertiary alcohol in the intermediates formed in early steps, since the stereochemistry of the allylic tertiary alcohol is difficult to be maintained until the final stage. Therefore, almost all of the current methods of mass production of Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine in industry construct the stereochemistry of the allylic tertiary alcohol until forming the structure of the final product or in the intermediates formed in late steps, or remove the undesired <NUM>(R)-epimer and trans isomer after forming the final product.

Although the final product Carboprost Tromethamine is a crystalline solid at room temperature, it is still very difficult to efficiently remove the <NUM>(R)-epimer and trans isomer simultaneously only by crystallization purification. In addition, since the polarity of Carboprost is very large, it is more difficult to remove the <NUM>(R)-epimer and trans isomer from Carboprost by chromatography.

Consequently, the isomers generated during the formation of Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine cannot be effectively removed, and there is no any suitable late-step intermediate used for separating and removing isomers in the prior art methods. In order to purify the final products, two additional steps are required to create a late-step intermediate that is suitable for use in separation and removal of isomers. As disclosed in the prior art references, e.g., <NPL>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; and <CIT>, Carboprost has to be esterified to form Carboprost methyl ester, then the <NUM>(R)-epimer and trans isomer of Carboprost methyl ester are removed by chromatography, and the Carboprost methyl ester is hydrolyzed into Carboprost with higher purity, but the yield and purity in such method are very unsatisfactory. <CIT> discloses the use of expensive and special simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography to separate and remove the isomers of Carboprost methyl ester, but the purity of the final product is still not good enough. <CIT> discloses the use of analyticalgrade HPLC column chromatography packing (<NUM>) for separation, but the trans isomers still cannot be removed completely. In addition, since the amount that can be separated by the method of <CIT> is small, such method is difficult to be used for industrial-grade mass production. <CIT> discloses a crystalline form of carboprost tromethamine.

Given the above, there is a need to discover and develop a method for preparing high purity Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine, which can significantly reduce the formation of impurities or isomers including <NUM>(R)-epimer and trans isomer, and can also effectively remove the generated impurities or isomers.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a novel high melting point crystal of Carboprost Tromethamine. The present invention also provides a process for preparing the crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a high melting point (<NUM>±<NUM>) crystal of Carboprost Tromethamine having an X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) pattern exhibiting characteristic peaks at the following 2θ reflection angles: <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, and <NUM>±<NUM>°.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a process for preparing a high melting point crystal of Carboprost Tromethamine, comprising the use of a solvent of anhydrous acetonitrile.

The use of the word "a" or "an" when used in conjunction with the term "comprising" in the claims and/or the specification may mean "one," but is also consistent with the meaning of "one or more," "at least one," and "one or more than one. " The use of the term "or" in the claims is used to mean "and/or" unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or unless the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers only to alternatives and "and/or. " Throughout this application, the term "about" is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value or the variation that exists among the study subjects.

In the depiction of the compounds given throughout this description, a wedged bold bond (<IMG>) means a bond projecting above the plane of the paper; a wedged hashed bond ( <IMG>) means a bond projecting below the plane of the paper; and a wavy bond (<IMG>) means a bond projecting almost half above and half below the plane of the paper.

When used herein, the term "high purity Carboprost or Carboprost Tromethamine," "high purity Carboprost" or "high purity Carboprost Tromethamine" means that Carboprost and/or Carboprost Tromethamine in question contains no more than about <NUM>% total isomers, preferably no more than about <NUM>% total isomers or no more than about <NUM>% total isomers, and more preferably no more than about <NUM>% total isomers. The isomers or impurities indicated herein include <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomers, <NUM>(R)-epimers, and any other stereoisomers.

When used herein, the term regarding substantially free of <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer or the like means that a compound in question does not contain more than about <NUM>%, about <NUM>%, about <NUM>%, about <NUM>%, about <NUM>%, or about <NUM>% of impurities or isomers, such as <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer, or contains a none-detectable level of impurities or isomers, such as <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer measured by HPLC, for which the detection limit is not more than about <NUM>%.

To form Carboprost Tromethamine from Carboprost, the process comprises a salt formation with tromethamine, and crystallization of Carboprost Tromethamine. The salt formation and crystallization steps may follow the method disclosed in <CIT> or <CIT>. In general, Carboprost can be first dissolved in a suitable solvent, such as acetone, acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and a combination thereof, then tromethamine in a suitable solvent, such as water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and a combination thereof, can be added to the solution; and the mixture can be heated to about <NUM> for about <NUM> hours to form a homogeneous solution. Thereafter, the homogenous solution can be allowed to cool down to about <NUM>, and a white solid slowly starts to precipitate. The reaction mixture can be further cooled down to room temperature, and then filtered to obtain the white crystal of Carboprost Tromethamine. The melting point of the white crystal thus obtained is typically about <NUM> to <NUM> as originally disclosed by Pfizer (e.g., the prescribing information of Hemabate® provided by Pfizer).

In case of Example <NUM> of <CIT>, about <NUM> Carboprost Tromethamine was precipitated during lowering the temperature from the mixture of <NUM> acetonitrile and <NUM> water, and the melting point of the white crystal is measured as <NUM> (see <FIG>). The present inventors repeated Example <NUM> of <CIT> and found that the melting point of the obtained Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is measured as <NUM>.

In case of Example <NUM> of <CIT>, about <NUM> Carboprost Tromethamine was precipitated from the mixture of isopropanol and acetone. <CIT> does not disclose the melting point of the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal obtained from Example <NUM>. The present inventors repeated Example <NUM> of <CIT> and found that the melting point of the obtained Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is measured as <NUM>.

The melting points of the above mentioned known Carboprost Tromethamine crystals range from about <NUM> to about <NUM>, which are indeed within the scope as originally provided by Pfizer (<NUM> to <NUM>).

The recrystallization on Carboprost Tromethamine may provide effects on decreasing the content of <NUM>(R)-isomer. The recrystallization methods of Carboprost Tromethamine have been disclosed in <CIT> and <CIT>. The present inventors repeated the method <CIT> disclosed using water with acetone, and found that the recrystallized Carboprost Tromethamine has a melting point of <NUM> as measured. The present inventors also repeated the method <CIT> disclosed using isopropanol with acetone, and found that the recrystallized Carboprost Tromethamine has a melting point of <NUM> as measured.

It is an unexpectedly found that a specially high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal can be obtained by a recrystallization process of Carboprost Tromethamine using a specific solvent of anhydrous acetonitrile. The high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal thus formed has a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogram pattern comprising an endothermic peak with a peak maximum of <NUM>±<NUM>, which is obviously higher than the upper limit of the melting point range originally provided by Pfizer and that of the above mentioned Carboprost Tromethamine crystals disclosed in the prior art.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a high melting point crystalline form of Carbopropst Tromethamine, comprising the steps of:.

In some embodiments, the mixture can be heated to about <NUM> for completely dissolving Carboprost Tromethamine; then the homogenous solution can be slowly cooled down, and a white solid is slowly started to precipitate; and the mixture can be further cooled down to room temperature, and then filtered and dried to obtain the crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine.

In some embodiments, the amount of the anhydrous acetonitrile used in step a ranges from about <NUM> to <NUM>, about <NUM> to <NUM>, or about <NUM> to <NUM>, per <NUM> of Carboprost Tromethamine; the anhydrous acetonitrile has a water content of less than about <NUM>%, less than about <NUM>%, less than about <NUM>%, or less than about <NUM>% (w/w); and the process is preferably carried out without adding water. The crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine prepared from the process has a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogram pattern comprising an endothermic peak with a peak maximum of <NUM>±<NUM>, which is higher than the other known crystalline forms of Carboprost Tromethamine. Since the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal obtained by the present invention has the highest melting point compared to all other known Carboprost Tromethamine crystals, it is the most stable crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine.

Moreover, the high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal of the present invention has an X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) pattern exhibiting characteristic peaks at the following 2θ reflection angles: <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, and <NUM>±<NUM>°, which is obviously different from the 2θ reflection angles: <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, and <NUM>±<NUM>° of the crystal disclosed in <CIT>. It indicates that the high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is a novel crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal has an XRPD pattern exhibiting characteristic peaks at the following 2θ reflection angles: <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, and <NUM>±<NUM>°. More preferably, the XRPD pattern of the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is consistent with <FIG>. The particular data of the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is shown in Table <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine having an XRPD pattern substantially as shown in <FIG>.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides the XRPD patterns of the Carboprost Tromethamine crystals for five different batches (a) to (e), as shown in <FIG>. The particular data of the four major separated characteristic peaks are clearly marked and shown in Table <NUM>. The average positions of characteristic peaks are located at about <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, and <NUM>°, respectively.

The XRPD characteristic peak positions of the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal of the present invention locate at higher <NUM>-theta (2θ) angle (<NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, and <NUM>±<NUM>°), comparing with <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, and <NUM>+<NUM>° disclosed by <CIT>. The characteristic peak at <NUM>° of Carboprost Tromethamine disclosed by <CIT> represents a d-spacing of <NUM>. On the other hand, the characteristic peak at <NUM>° of Carboprost Tromethamine of the present invention represents a d-spacing of <NUM>. The more than <NUM>. 5Å d-spacing difference is a very clear evidence indicating that the molecule packing are different in crystal lattice structure. This result shows that the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is a novel crystalline form with a more stable and denser ordering packing structure comparing to the previous arts.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a Carboprost Tromethamine crystal having a DSC thermogram pattern comprising an endothermic peak with a peak onset temperature of approximately <NUM> and a peak maximum of approximately <NUM>±<NUM>. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine having a DSC thermogram pattern substantially as shown in <FIG>.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides the DSC thermogram patterns of the Carboprost Tromethamine crystals for five different batches (a) to (e), as shown in <FIG>. The particular data of the peak maximum for single endothermic peak is clearly marked and shown in Table <NUM>. The average peak maximum of these endothermic peaks is about <NUM>.

The DSC peak maximum temperature of about <NUM> for the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal of the present invention is far beyond the disclosed melting point of Carboprost Tromethamine of <NUM> to <NUM> (as originally provided by Pfizer) and the peak maximum temperature of <NUM> disclosed in <CIT>, indicating that the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal of the present invention is a novel crystal with higher thermal stability comparing to the previous arts. It is well-known for person skilled in the art that a crystal comprising the highest melting point is the most stable crystalline form in thermodynamics; hence, the novel Carboprost Tromethamine crystal of the present invention is the most stable one compared to the previous arts.

The United States Pharmacopeia recommends that Carboprost Tromethamine should be stored in a freezer (-<NUM>). In contrast, the present invention proves that the high melting point crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine is very stable even being treated at <NUM> for <NUM> months, <NUM> for <NUM> months, and <NUM> for <NUM> days. Hence, the stability of the Carboprost Tromethamine crystal of present invention has been significantly improved.

X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) Analysis: The XRPD patterns were collected on a Bruker D2 PHASER diffractometer with fixed divergence slits and 1D LYNXEYE detector. The samples (ca. <NUM>) were flatly placed on a sample holder. The prepared samples were analyzed over a 2θ range from <NUM>° to <NUM>° with step size of <NUM> degrees and step time of <NUM> second using CuKα radiation at a power of <NUM> mA and <NUM> kV. The CuKβ radiation was removed by a divergent beam nickel filter.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) Analysis: The DSC thermogram patterns were collected on a TA DISCOVERY DSC25 instrument. The samples were weighed into an aluminum pan with a crimping closed aluminum lid. The prepared samples were analyzed from <NUM> to <NUM> at scan rate of <NUM>/min under a flow of nitrogen (ca. <NUM>/min). The melting temperature and heat of fusion were calibrated by indium (In) before measurement. The melting point of all samples was determined by the peak maximum of the endothermic peak during DSC measurement in this invention.

<NUM>-amino-<NUM>-(hydroxymethyl)propane-<NUM>,<NUM>-diol; (Z)-<NUM>-((1R,2R,3R,<NUM>)-<NUM>,<NUM>-dihydroxy-<NUM>-((S,E)-<NUM>-hydroxy-<NUM>-methyloct-<NUM>-en-<NUM>-yl)cyclopentyl)hept-<NUM>-enoate, Carboprost Tromethamine
<CHM>.

The <NUM> of Carboprost was dissolved in <NUM> of acetonitrile at <NUM>, and the solution was heated to <NUM>. The <NUM> of tromethamine in <NUM> water was slowly added into the solution. The reaction mixture was further heated to <NUM> for reflux for <NUM> minutes. The homogenous solution was allowed to cool down to <NUM>, and the white solid was slowly started to precipitate. The mixture was further cooled down to room temperature and stirred over <NUM> hours. The reaction mixture was filtered to obtain white crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine (<NUM>). The melting point of the crystal was measured by DSC as <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

The Carboprost Tromethamine crystal was prepared from an acetone/aqueous solution by following the method disclosed in Example <NUM> of <CIT>. The melting point of the crystal was measured by the inventor as <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

The Carboprost Tromethamine crystal was prepared from an ether/aqueous solution by following the method disclosed in Example <NUM> of <CIT>. The melting point of the crystal was measured by the inventor as <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

The Carboprost Tromethamine crystal was prepared from an isopropanol/acetone solution by following the method disclosed in Example <NUM> of <CIT>. The melting point of the crystal was measured by the inventor as <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

<NUM> Carboprost Tromethamine was dissolved in <NUM> acetonitrile containing water of <NUM>% at <NUM> to give a homogeneous solution and then cooled down the homogeneous solution to <NUM>, and the white solid was slowly started to precipitate. The mixture was further cooled down to room temperature. The resulting precipitate crystal was filtered and dried. After recrystallization, yield of the obtained high purity Carboprost Tromethamine crystal was <NUM>. The melting point of the crystal was measured by DSC as <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. Upon HPLC analysis, <NUM>(R)-epimer was in an amount of <NUM>%, and <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer was not detected.

The Carboprost Tromethamine crystal was prepared from an acetone/aqueous solution by following the method disclosed in Example <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> of <CIT>. The melting point of the crystal was measured by the inventor as <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

<NUM> of commercially available Carboprost Tromethamine, which includes <NUM>% of <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer and <NUM>% <NUM>(R)-epimer, was dissolved in acidic water with pH of <NUM> and extracted with ethyl acetate to obtain <NUM> of Carboprost. A solution of Carboprost in <NUM> of anhydrous, oxygen-free xylene was treated with <NUM> of <NUM>,<NUM>'-dipyridyl disulfide and <NUM> of triphenylphosphine. After stirring for <NUM> hours at <NUM>, the mixture was diluted with <NUM> of xylene and heated at reflux for <NUM> hours. The reaction mixture was further evaporated to remove the solvent, and the residue was partitioned between a cold sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution and ethyl acetate. The organic layer was collected and washed with brine, and dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate. The mixture was filtered and concentrated to obtain crude <NUM>,<NUM>-lactone compound. The crude compound was purified by chromatography on silica gel using a mixture of dichloromethane and acetone as a gradient eluent. Yield of the obtained <NUM>-methyl <NUM>,<NUM>-lactone was <NUM>.

The <NUM>,<NUM>-lactone product was further processed by a hydrolysis reaction to obtain Carboprost which includes <NUM>% of <NUM>(R)-epimer but no detectable <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer in HPLC analysis. Carboprost Tromethamine was formed from the Carboprost and tromethamine according to the process of Reference Example <NUM>, and crystallized and recrystallized according to the process of Example <NUM> (Method A) and Example <NUM> to obtain high purity Carboprost Tromethamine. Upon HPLC analysis, <NUM>(R)-epimer was in an amount of <NUM>%, and <NUM>,<NUM>-trans isomer was not detected.

The stability data shown in Tables <NUM> and <NUM> shows that the high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is stable even being treated at <NUM> for <NUM> months, <NUM> for <NUM> months, and <NUM> for <NUM> days. The high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is very stable at room temperature, even at higher temperature, so that the formation of degradation impurities can be effectively avoided.

On the other hand, the hygroscopicity of the high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal prepared from Example <NUM> (Method A) and the low melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal prepared from Example <NUM> (Method B) was measured. The samples were placed in glass vial with <NUM>%RH at <NUM> for <NUM> hours, and the water content of the samples were measured by Karl Fischer titration, as shown in Table <NUM>. The high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal shows a relatively low rate of water absorption compared to the low melting point one, indicating that the high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is more stable and can be stored for a longer time under high humidity condition, so the high melting point Carboprost Tromethamine crystal is more conducive to product handling, storage and shipping.

Claim 1:
A crystalline form of Carboprost Tromethamine, having a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogram pattern comprising an endothermic peak with a peak maximum of <NUM>±<NUM>, and having an X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) pattern comprising characteristic peaks at the following 2θ reflection angles: <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, <NUM>±<NUM>°, and <NUM>±<NUM>°.