Patent ID: 7375218

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of formula (I): wherein Het is a five-, six- or seven-membered saturated or unsaturated heterocycle containing from one to four heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur; said heterocycle being substituted with R 1 at any available position on the heterocycle; R 1 is selected from H, R 20 , —NR 22 COR 20 , —NR 22 COOR 20 , —NR 22 NR 21 and —NR 22 CONR 21 R 23 , wherein R 20 is selected from (C 1-8 )alkyl, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl and (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl(C 1-4 )alkyl-, wherein said cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl may be mono-, di- or tri-substituted with (C 1-3 )alkyl; R 21 is H or has one of the meanings of R 20 as defined above, R 22 and R 23 are independently selected from H and methyl, each Alk is independently a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group; R 3 is hydroxy, NH 2 , or a group of formula —NH—R 9 , wherein R 9 is C 6 or C 10 aryl, heteroaryl, —C(O)—R 10 , —C(O)—NHR 10 or —C(O)—OR 10 , wherein R 10 is C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl; D is a 3 to 7-carbon atom saturated alkylene chain; R 4 is H, or from one to three substituents at any carbon atom of said chain D, said substituent independently selected from the group consisting of: C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, hydroxy, halo, amino, oxo, thio, or C 1-6 thioalkyl; and A is an amide of formula —C(O)—NH—R 11 , wherein R 11 is selected from the group consisting of: C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, C 6 or C 10 aryl, C 7-16 aralkyl and SO 2 R 11A wherein R 11A is C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl or C 1-6 alkyl-C 3-7 cycloalkyl; or A is a carboxyl group or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; or A is a pharmaceutically acceptable ester group of the formula in which the R moiety of the ester is selected from alkyl; alkoxyalkyl; alkoxyacyl: aralkyl; aryloxyalkyl; and aryl; each optionally substituted with halogen, C 1-4 alkyl or C 1-4 alkoxy; said process comprising reacting a macrocyclic compound of formula (IX) with a compound of formula QUIN to obtain a compound of formula (I): and when A is a pharmaceutically acceptable ester group in the resulting compound of formula (I), optionally subjecting the compound of formula (I) to hydrolysis conditions to obtain a compound of formula (I) wherein A is a carboxyl group; and when A is a carboxyl group in the resulting compound of formula (I), optionally coupling this compound with a sulfonamide of formula R 11A SO 2 NH 2 in the presence of a suitable coupling agent to obtain a compound of formula (I) wherein A is—C(O)—NH—SO 2 R 11A .