Synthesis and synthetic chemistry of pleuromutilin

Despite renewed pleas by the World Health Organisation for action to be taken against antimicrobial resistance, the development of new antibiotics has not kept pace with demand. The pleuromutilin class is vastly under explored and could hold a key weapon in the battle against antimicrobial resistance. This report explores the synthesis and synthetic chemistry of this structurally intriguing, densely functionalised and biologically important natural product.