Patent ID: 8410176

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a compound of formula (A): or stereoisomers, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, or combination thereof, comprising steps (a), (b1), (c1), (d) and (e); or (a), (b2), (c2), (d) and (e): a) a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction between 1-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-propan-1-one and a phosphonate compound of formula (I) to obtain a compound of formula (II): wherein each R is independently alkyl or aryl which is optionally substituted with an electron withdrawing group; R′ is (i) —NR 1 R 2 wherein R 1 and R 2 are each alkyl; (ii) —OR 3 wherein R 3 is alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl; or (iii) a functional group which can be converted to an amine group; and R″ is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroalkyl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl or cycloalkyl; b1) and c1): hydrogenating compound (II) to obtain the compound of formula (III): and optionally, when R′ is other than NMe 2 , converting the compound of formula (III) to a compound of formula (IV): or b2) and c2) optionally, when R′ is other than NMe 2 , converting the compound of formula (II) to a compound of formula (V): and hydrogenating compound (V) to obtain the compound of formula (IV): d) reducing the resultant compound of formula (IV) obtained in steps (c1) or (c2) to a compound of formula (VI): and e) converting the compound of formula (VI) to a compound of formula (A):