Patent ID: 7358393

Claim:
A method for preparing β-alaninamides of the formula: in which (i) R 1 is hydrogen or C 1-6 -alkyl that is unsubstituted or substituted with hydroxy, amino, carboxy, carbamoyl, methylmercapto, guanidino or unsubstituted or substituted aryl or heteroaryl, and R 2 is hydrogen, or (ii) R 1 and R 2 together form a group of the formula —(CH 2 ) n — where n is 3 or 4, comprising, in a first stage, reacting an amine of the formula: in which R 1 and R 2 are as defined above, or a corresponding salt, with a cyanoacetic ester of the formula: in which R 3 is C 1-10 -alkyl, in a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, N,N-dimethyformamide and mixtures thereof, to give a cyanoacetamide of the formula: in which R 1 and R 2 are as defined above, or a corresponding salt, and, in a second stage, converting the cyanoacetamide of formula (IV), or a corresponding salt, by catalytic hydrogenation to the compound (I), or a corresponding salt.