Patent ID: 7309717

Claim:
A process of making a compound of formula I: or salts thereof, said process comprising: (1) desymmetrizing a compound of formula II with R 1 OH in the presence of a chiral reagent to yield a compound of formula III: wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, trifluoroethyl, trichloroethyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkylaryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, cycloalkenyl and cycloalkenylalkyl; (2) aminating the compound of formula III to yield a compound of formula IV: (3) reducing the amide and ester functionalities of the compound of formula IV to yield a compound of formula V: (4) protecting the amino group of the compound of formula V to yield a compound of formula VI: wherein P represents a protecting group; (5) oxidizing the compound of formula VI to yield a compound of formula VII: (6) adding R 2 OH to the compound of formula VII to yield a compound of formula VIII: wherein R 2 represents H, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl; (7) cyanating the compound of formula VIII to yield a compound of formula IX: (8) hydrolyzing the compound of formula IX with MOR 3 or R 3 OH into a compound of formula X: wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Li, Na and K, and R 3 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, aralkyl and cycloalkyl; and (9) deprotecting the compound of formula X to yield the compound of formula I: or optionally isolating it as salts thereof.