Patent ID: 6875867

Claim:
A process for preparing a dihydroxy acid ester, salt, or free acid of the structure or the lactone thereof, wherein R 10 is the residue of an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor which is where X is CH 2 , O, S or NR 7 ; R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are independently selected from alkyl, arylalkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl or cycloheteroalkyl; R 4 is H, halogen, CF 3 , hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy, alkanoylamino, aroylamino, or cyano; R 7 is H, alkyl, aryl, alkanoyl, aroyl, or alkoxycarbonyl; and Y is alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl or CbZ, which comprises providing a trans olefin of the structure wherein R 10 and Y are as defined above, and subjecting the trans olefin to acidic conditions to remove the acetonide and form the dihydroxy acid ester; optionally treating the dihydroxy acid with a base to form the corresponding salt; optionally treating the dihydroxy acid salt with an acid to form the free acid of the structure