Patent ID: 7358399

Claim:
A process for the preparation of racemic tolterodine of the formula and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, comprising: substitution of the sulfonyloxy group of the compound of the formula in which R represents C 1 -C 6 alkyl, CH 2 —Ar, SiR′ 3 , in which Ar represents optionally substituted aryl and each R′ may mutually independently be linear or branched alkyl or optionally substituted aryl, or acyl and R″ represents C 1 -C 6 alkyl or optionally substituted aryl, with N,N-diisopropylamine in a solvent comprising an ionic liquid to yield the tertiary amine of the formula in which R has the above-stated meanings, subsequent deprotection of the OR group to yield racemic tolterodine of the formula and optionally, salification thereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid.