Patent ID: 7829746

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a compound of the following formula the process comprising: (a) reacting in the presence of a strong organic base in an aprotic solvent, a compound of the following formula: wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and independently represent hydroxyl protecting groups, with a compound of the following formula: wherein R 3 represents a silyl group of formula Si(R 4 )(R 5 )(R 6 ), where R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are the same or different and independently represent C 1-6 alkyl or phenyl groups, to yield a diastereomeric mixture of compounds of the following formula: wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are as defined above; (b) performing reductive desulfonation of the diastereomeric mixture of compounds obtained in (a) using sodium amalgam to yield a compound of the following formula: and (c) removing the hydroxyl protecting groups, R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 , to yield the compound of the following formula: