Recent advances in the total synthesis of galantamine, a natural medicine for Alzheimer's disease

Covering: 2006 to 2023(-)-Galantamine is a natural product with distinctive structural features and potent inhibitory activity against acetylcholine esterase (AChE). It is clinically approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The clinical significance and scarcity of this natural product have prompted extensive and ongoing efforts towards the chemical synthesis of this challenging tetracyclic structure. The objective of this review is to summarize and discuss recent progress in the total synthesis of galantamine from 2006 to 2023. The contents are organized according to the synthetic strategies for the construction of the quaternary center. Key features of each synthesis have been highlighted, followed by a summary and outlook at the end. This review discusses the recent synthetic strategies for the total synthesis of galantamine, a natural medicine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, focusing on the construction of the key quaternary center and the asymmetric synthesis.