Synthesis and rational design of anti‐inflammatory compounds: N ‐phenyl‐cyclohexenyl sulfonamide derivatives

The synthesis of (±)‐ethyl 6‐[ N ‐(2‐chloro‐4‐fluorophenyl)sulfamoyl]cyclohex‐1‐ene‐1‐carboxylate ( 5n ) has been reproduced from a method previously described and served as the background for the preparation of a nitro derivative, potentially useful as an anti‐inflammatory agent. Furthermore, a structure‐based QSAR analysis of a series of N ‐arylsulfamoyl congeners derived a highly predictive model for the activities of novel small‐molecule inhibitors of NO and cytokine production, whose preparation may be successfully achieved according to a similar procedure as above. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.