Patent ID: 7129354

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a compound of the general formula (I): comprising the steps of: (i) O-alkylating a 3-pyridinol derivative of the general formula (II) or the corresponding hydrochloride: to give another 3-pyridinol derivative of the general formula (III): (ii) reacting the 3-pyridinol derivative of the general formula (III) with (2R)-1-(3-chloro-2-pyrazinyl)- 2-methylpiperazine of the formula (IV) in the presence of an alkali metal tert-butoxide or an alkali earth metal tert-butoxide, to give a compound of the general formula (I): (iii) converting the compound of the general formula (I) to a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof by treatment with a pharmaceutically acceptable organic or inorganic acid, wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 , independently, is hydrogen, halogen, C 1 –C 6 -alkyl, C 1 –C 6 -alkoxy, and di-C 1 –C 6 -alkylamino-C 2 –C 6 -alkoxy.