A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF DILTIAZEM

Abstract: (+)-Cis-3-(acetoxy)-5-[2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl]-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-metho xyphenyl)-1,5-benzothiazepin-4(5H)-one hydrochloride is prepared by N-alkylation of (+)-cis-3-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,5-benzothiazepin-4 (5H)-one with dimethylaminoethyl chloride and K2CO3 in toluene/water, addition of a solubilizing agent and in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst, the toluene phase being directly subjected to the final O- acetylation.

Description: A process for the preparation of dl ltiaze The present invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of (+)-cis-3-(acetoxy)-5- [2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl]-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-methoxyphe¬ nyl)-l,5-benzothiazepin-4(5H)-one hydrochloride of for¬ This compound, also known under the International Common Denomination of "Diltiazem", is of paramount practical importance for its important pharmacological activities. The literature discloses several processes for the preparation of compound (I). Particularly US 3,562,257 discloses a synthesis of (I) which includes the following steps: (+)-cis-3-hydrσxy-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,5- benzothiazepin-4(5H)-one (II): obtained as disclosed in the same 3,562,257, is reacted with dimethylaminoethy1 chloride of formula (III): ( (CCHH 33 )) 22 NN--CCHH 22 CCHH 22 -- ■ CC1l (III) to give the intermediate of formula (IV) : which is subsequently transformed by acetylation into the final product (I). The above mentioned US patent 3,562,257 claims the following conditions for the main step, i.e. for the reaction between (II) and (III): reaction of (II) with sodium hydride, metallic sodium or sodium amide in a solvent such as dimethyl sulfoxide, dioxane, toluene or xylene, and subsequent reaction of the obtained salt with (III) . Sodium hydride and dimethyl sulfoxide are respectively the preferred base and solvent. The process is unsatisfying from the safety point of view (as it is well known, the mixture NaH/(CH,)_SO may give rise to explosions) and under ecological aspects; it requires long times and produces large amounts of waste sewage which must be incinerated to avoid pollutions. These drawbacks have only partially been overcome by subsequently disclosed processes. For example, US 4,438,035 (corresponding to EP 0,081,234) discloses a process to obtain compound (I), which is carried out according to the scheme reported in US 3,562,257, but the reaction between (II) and (III) is effected using potassium carbonate in a solvent selected from acetone, a lower alkyl acetate or an acetone/water mixture. Acetone and acetone/water are preferred solvents; as tests from the applicant have demonstrated, acetone alone fits badly to this reaction, because long reaction times, up to two days, are needed to obtain good yields. Good yields are obtained with acetone/water in shorter times. A drawback of this process resides in its high ecological cost. In fact at the end of the reaction solvent must be removed and incinerated, with high costs, since it is contaminated by compound (III) and by-products and cannot by recycled. Another drawback resides in operating in solid- liquid eterogeneous phase, with problems connected with the stirring of the reaction mixture and especially with the necessity to eliminate the salts (KC1 and unreacted K 2 CO,) at the end of the reaction. This must be accomplished with a centrifugation which requires long times, due to the physical form of the solid. The final step (the transformation of (IV) into (I)) entails acetone evaporation, redissolution in toluene and acetylation with acetic anhydride. Finally, EP-A-158,303 discloses a process accor¬ ding to which the reaction between the intermediate (ii) and the reagent (III) is carried out under phase- transfer conditions. Typically, an halogenated organic solvent, such as methylene chloride, chloroform or 1,2- dichloroethane, is used, optionally at the presence of a catalyst, such as a quaternary ammonium halide. Calcium or barium hydroxide in aqueous phase are normally used as halohydric acid acceptors. At the end of the reaction the solvent is evaporated and the resi¬ due is taken up in toluene for the acetylation reac¬ tion. The drawback of this process resides especially in using a highly polluting solvent which is also of dif¬ ficult elimination. It is well-known, in fact, that ha- locarbons always show severe problems when they must be eliminated by incineration. In this case, as the tests of the Applicant demonstrate, the solvent coming from the reaction is so polluted that its recovery is not economical, therefore it is destroyed. A further drawback consists in the necessity to change the solvent before the acetylation reaction; and it is well-known how changing solvent on an industrial level implies remarkable costs and complications. It has surprisingly been found now that all the drawbacks of the above-mentioned processes can be over¬ come if the reaction between (II) and (III) is carried out in a biphasic system formed by toluene and water, in the presence of little amounts of dimethylformamide, or N,N-dimethylacetamide or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as solubilizing agent, of potassium carbonate as a base and of a small amount of quaternary ammonium salts as phase-transfer catalysts. The high yields which characterize the process ac¬ cording to the invention are the more surprising as the use of toluene as solvent appeared not to be recommen¬ ded as far as known in the prior art. In fact, in the above-mentioned EP-A-0,081,234 examination procedure, dated October I s 1984, the Ap¬ plicant (Tanabe) exhibited comparison data from which it is clear that reacting (II) and (III) in toluene, in the presence of KOH, the desired compound (IV) is for¬ med in no relevant amounts, while operating with ace¬ tone, other conditions being equal, the same compound (IV) is obtained in a 86.2% yield. According to the invention, (+)-cis-3-hydroxy-2, - dihydro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,5-benzothiazepin-4(5H)- one (II) is treated with a 1-1.5 molar amount of di- methylaminoethyl chloride, in the appropriate hydro- chloride form, and with an excess of potassium carbo¬ nate (2-3 moles) in a toluene/water/solubilizing agent mixture (8:1:0.5-18:1:1 v/v), with catalytic amounts of one of the quaternary ammonium salts usually employed as catalysts in nucleophilic substitution reactions in phase-transfer conditions. Preferably, (II) /(III) molar ratio is about 1:1.2; (II)/K.,CO_ molar ratio is about 1:2.3; the solvent mixture (toluene/H^O/solubilizing agent) is used in amounts of about of 3.2-4 liters/mole of (II), being the toluene/H 2 0/solubilizing agent volu- metric ratio about 10:1:1, while tetrabutylammonium sulfate is the preferred quaternary ammonium salt, as above mentioned. The reaction mixture is refluxed for 5-6 hours, whereupon the tolueniσ phase containing (+)-cis-3-hy- droxy-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-l,5-benzothia- zepin-4(5H)-one (IV) is separated from the aqueous phase and directly subjected to acetylation. The final product is obtained with very high yields and in an extremely pure form. Table I contains comparison data, referred to about 100 kg batches of intermediate (II) (i.e. industrial amounts), of the o Base Solvent yield in Time Water sewage comp. IV (hours) to incinerator to biological depuration US 3,562,257 NaH DMSO 83.8% 96 5600 rt O σ* US 4,438,035 K-CO- Aceton/ 91% 60 900 1500 rt water EP-A2 0,158,303 Ca(OH) 2 methylene 93% 51 2000 2100 H H- Ba(0H) chloride O h Example 1 of the P> H rt present inven- K 2 C0 3 Toluene 97% 36 1600 tion DMF/water PJ O O O H C H- Q rt O From data-table analysis, the invention process shows with clear evidence the following advantages: a) The intermediate (IV) global yield is almost quantitative; this also means lower by-product formation, as to say a purer and easily to purified product. b) Definitely shorter production times. Compared with the best of the two known methods a 30% saving is achieved, with an evident reduction in labour cost and equipment locking up. c) Simpler operating method since, contrary to the US 4,438,035 process, no solid by-products are obtained. A portion separation by centrifugation is therefore useless, and a simple decantation with subsequent of an organic liquid phase from an aqueous phase is sufficient. Compared to EP 0,158,303, the operation of substituting the reaction solvent with the acylation one is avoided, with evident time, labour and material costs saving. d) The final product is already obtained in solution in the solvent suited to the final step (acetylation), in a different way from the prior art processes which car¬ ry out the first reaction step. in a solvent different from the one of the final step. e) The organic solvent in the process of the invention is easily recovered by washing with water and purifying by distillation. f) The invention process, accordingly to the above- mentioned paragraph e), produces only aqueous wastes that can be sent to biological purification. The processes according to US 4,438,035 and EP 0,158,303 produce comparable amounts of waste sewage which are to be biologically purified and also a large amount of organic solvent which is to be incinerated as it cannot be recycled, due to the nature of the impurities therein contained, as outlined in the procedure. This is particularly serious in the EP 0,158,303 case because the organic solvent to eliminate is an halocarbon. The enormous quantity of wastes to be incinerated from the process according to US 3,562,257 (aside from the already above-mentioned drawbacks) makes unfeasible the process itself. EXAMPLE 1 100 kg of (+)-cis-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy- 2,3-dihydro-l,5-benzothiazepin- (5H)-one are suspended in 900 1 of toluene, 50 1 of DMF and treated with 106 kg of K 2 CO, and 63 kg of dimethylaminoethy1 chloride hydrochloride and 50 g of tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate. The suspension is heated to about 90°C and 60 1 of water are added. After 5 hours heating is interrupted. The reaction mixture is cooled to about 30°C, diluted with 500 1 of water, partitioned and the organic phase is washed with water. The aumount of compound (IV) present in the toluene phase is determined (kg 120, yield 97%); 180 kg of acetic anhydride are added and the reaction mixture is kept at room temperature for 10 hours. The solution is concentrated recovering toluene and unreacted acetic anhydride; the residue is taken up into 400 1 of acetone and Diltiazem hydrochloride is precipitated by cooling using gaseous HC1. After filtration, the product is recrystallized from 600 1 of butanol. About 140 kg of Diltiazem are obtained. EXAMPLE 2 50 g of (+)-cis-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-2,3- dihydro-l,5-benzothiazepin-4(5H)-one are suspended in 450 ml of toluene, 25 ml of N,N-dimethylacetamide, and treated with 53 g of K 2 C0, and 31 g of dimethylami- noethyl chloride hydrochloride and 250 mg of tetrabu- tylammonium hydrogen sulfate. The suspension is heated to about 90°C and 30 ml of water are added. After 5 hours heating is interrupted. The reaction mixture is cooled to about 30 β C, diluted with 25 ml of water, partitioned and the organic phase is washed with water. The aumount of compound (IV) present in the toluene phase is determined (g 60.5, yield 98%); 90 g of acetic anhydride are added and the reaction mixture is kept at room temperature for 10 hours. The solution is concentrated recovering toluene and unreacted acetic anhydride; the residue is taken up into 200 ml of acetone and Diltiazem hydrochloride is precipitated by cooling using gaseous HC1. After filtration, the product is recrystallized from 300 ml of butanol. About 70 g of Diltiazem are obtained. EXAMPLE 3 50 g of (+)-cis-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-2,3- dihydro-l,5-benzothiazepin-4(5H)-one are suspended in 450 ml of toluene , 25 ml of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone , and treated with 53 g of K 2 C0 3 and 31 g of dimethylami- noethyl chloride hydrochloride and 250 mg of tetrabu- tylammonium hydrogen sulfate. The suspension is heated to about 90°C and 30 1 of water are added. After 5 hours heating is interrupted. The reaction mixture is cooled to about 30 °C, diluted with 25 ml of water, partitioned and the organic phase is washed with water. The aumount of compound (IV) present in the toluene phase is determined (g 61, yield 98,5%); 90 g of acetic anhydride are added and the reaction mixture is kept at room temperature for 10 hours. The solution is concentrated recovering toluene and unreacted acetic anhydride; the residue is taken up into 200 ml of acetone and Diltiazem hydrochloride is precipitated by cooling using gaseous HC1. After filtration, the product is recrystallized from 300 ml of butanol. About 70.5 g of Diltiazem are obtained.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A process for the preparation of (+)-cis-3-(ace- toxy)-5-[2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl]-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-me- thoxyphenyl)-1,5-benzothiazepin-4(5H)-one hydrochloride of formula (I) by alkylating the benzothiazepine derivative of formula ( ID: with dimethylaminoethyl chloride of formula (III): (CH 3 ) 2 N-CH 2 CH 2 -C1 (III) under phase-transfer conditions, to obtain the interme¬ diate of formula (IV): characterized in that the phase-transfer alkylation reaction is carried out in toluene, and in that the subsequent acetylation reaction is directly carried out in the toluene solution of the intermediate (IV) , after decanting the aqueous phase. 2. A process according to claim 1 characterized in that the alkylation reaction is carried out in the presence, of one solubilizing agent selected from dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-meth l-2- pyrrolidone, potassium carbonate as the base and a quaternary ammonium salt as the catalyst. 3. A process according to claims 1-2 characterized in that the toluene/H 2 0/solubilizing agent volumetric ratio is between 8.1:0.5 and 18:1:1.

Inventors: MANGHISI ELSO, PEREGO BRUNO, MANGHISI, ELSO, PEREGO, BRUNO
Applicants: LUSOCHIMICA SPA, LUSOCHIMICA S.P.A.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: C07D281
IPC codes: A61K31, C07D281