Improved Synthesis of Finasteride

The study aimed to improve the synthesis of finasteride, a compound used for hair loss treatment, by developing a method that avoided expensive and toxic reagents. The synthesis process involved several steps, including amidation, cleavage of the Δ4-double bond, ring closure with ammonia, hydrogenation, and dehydrogenation. The structure of the synthesized finasteride was confirmed using various analytical techniques such as IR, DSC, X-ray, 1H-NMR, and MS. The new synthetic route achieved an overall yield of 30.6% and was deemed suitable for industrial production.