Patent ID: 8236957

Claim:
A process for producing a morphinan-6α-ol compound of formula (IIa) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, comprising hydrogenating a morphinan-6-one compound of formula (I) in an aqueous solvent and a water soluble base wherein the aqueous solvent is selected from the group consisting of water and a mixture of water and a water-miscible co-solvent in the presence of a catalyst wherein said catalyst is platinum or platinum oxide, at a pH between about 11 and about 14 to provide the compound of formula (IIa) having less than one percent of a morphinan-6β-ol compound of formula (IIb) wherein R 1 is selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkylC 1 -C 10 alkyl, —C(O)—C 1 -C 10 alkyl or —C(O)—OC 1 -C 10 alkyl; and R 2 is selected from H, OR 3 or OC(O)R 3 wherein R 3 is selected from hydrogen or C 1 -C 10 alkyl.