Asymmetric Synthesis of Both Enantiomers of Vigabatrin: An Approach Using Methionine as the Chiral Pool

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)85629-5

Both enantiomers of the potent GABA-T inhibitor, 4-amino-5-hexenoic acid (2), were prepared in five steps from (R)- or (S)-methionine using a one-pot reduction-homologation of an α-amino ester as the key reaction step.