A new efficient synthesis of the immunosuppressive agent (±)-15-deoxyspergualin

(±)-15-Deoxyspergualin is a new promising immunosuppressive agent, recently marketed in Japan for the control of corticoresistant acute renal graft rejection. We describe here a nine-step synthesis starting from 7-bromoheptanenitrile and N1,N4-bis(benzyloxycarbonyl)spermidine, suitable for the production of multigram quantities of this unstable highly polar compound with an 18% overall yield. Furthermore, it opens the way for the synthesis of α-hydroxyglycine analogues.