Highly diastereoselective total synthesis of the anti-tumoral agent (±)-Spisulosine (ES285) from a Morita–Baylis–Hillman adduct

We disclose herein a new approach for the highly diastereoselective total synthesis of the anti-tumoral agent (±)-Spisulosine. The synthesis was accomplished in seven steps with an overall yield of 10%. The key step involves the transformation of a Morita–Baylis–Hillman into an acyloin, which was subsequently used as substrate in a highly diastereoselective reductive amination reaction.