Patent ID: 7105514

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently hydrogen, halogen, nitro, or an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms unsubstituted or substituted with one or more halogens; OR 7 , SR 7 , S(O)R 7 , S(O) 2 N(R 7 ) 2 , C(O)N(R 7 ) 2 , or N(R 7 ) 2 , wherein each R 7 is independently hydrogen, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms unsubstituted or substituted with one or more halogens, or benzyl, where the phenyl portion is unsubstituted or substituted with up to three groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, amino, and mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino; phenyl or heteroaryl, each of which phenyl or heteroaryl is unsubstituted or substituted with up to three groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, amino, and mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino; phenoxy where the phenyl portion is unsubstituted or substituted with up to three groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, amino, and mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino; or a group of the formula where J is a bond, CH 2 , oxygen, or nitrogen; and each r is independently 2 or 3; R 6 is hydroxy, benzyloxy, di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylaminoethyloxy, acetoxymethyloxy, pivaloyloxymethyloxy, phthalidoyloxy, ethoxycarbonyloxyethyloxy, 5-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxol-4-yl methyloxy, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy unsubstituted or substituted by N-morpholino, or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino; and Ar represents benzothiazolyl, where the benzo portion is unsubstituted or substituted by one of iodo, cyano, nitro, perfluoroethyl, trifluoroacetyl, or (C 1 -C 6 )alkanoyl, one or two of fluoro, chloro, bromo, hydroxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylthio, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethylthio, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfonyl or trifluoromethyl, or two fluoro or two trifluoromethyl with one hydroxy or one (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, or one or two fluoro and one trifluoromethyl, or three fluoro; comprising (a) heating a solution containing (i) a 2-aminothiophenol of formula VI where R 11 , R 12 , R 13 and R 14 are independently hydrogen, fluoro, chloro, bromo, nitro, iodo, cyano, hydroxy, perfluoroethyl, trifluoroacetyl, or (C 1 -C 6 )alkanoyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylthio, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethylthio, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfonyl or trifluoromethyl, and (ii) a protected acid of formula V where R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are as defined above; and R 61 is benzyloxy, di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylaminoethyloxy, acetoxymethyloxy, pivaloyloxymethyloxy, phthalidoyloxy, ethoxycarbonyloxyethyloxy, 5-methyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxol-4-yl methyloxy, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy unsubstituted or substituted by N-morpholino, or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino; to produce a protected acid of Formula VII and (b) optionally removing the protecting group from the protected acid VII.