Patent ID: 7244594

Claim:
A method for the preparation of at least one 26-hydroxyepothilone of formula: where: Q′ is selected from the group consisting of G 2 is the following formula (VI) CH 3 -(A 1 ) n -(Q a ) m -(A 2 ) o- (VI) A 1 and A 2 are independently selected from the group of optionally-substituted (C 1 -C 3 )alkylene and (C 2 -C 3 )alkenylene; Q a is an optionally-substituted ring system containing one to three rings and at least one carbon to carbon double bond in at least one ring; n, m, and o are integers independently selected from the group consisting of zero and 1, where at least one of m or n or o is 1; W is O or NR 6 ; X is selected from the group consisting of O, and H, OR 7 ; M is O, S, NR 8 , or CR 9 R 10 ; B 1 and B 2 are selected from the group consisting of —OR 11 and —OC(═O)R 12 ; R 1 -R 4 and R 12 —R 17 are selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and heterocyclo, except R 15 is not hydrogen, and when R 1 and R 2 are alkyl, they can be joined to form a cycloalkyl; R 6 is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, and substituted alkyl; R 7 and R 11 are selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, trialkylsilyl, alkyldiarylsilyl, and dialkylarylsilyl; R 8 is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, R 13 C(═O)—, R 14 OC(═O)—, and R 15 S(O) 2 —; and R 9 and R 10 are selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, heterocyclo, hydroxy, R 16 C(═O)—, and R 17 OC(═O)—; the pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof and any hydrates, solvates, or geometric, optical and stereoisomers thereof; comprising the steps of: a) contacting at least one epothilone of formula IVa where: the pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof and any hydrates, solvates, or geometric, optical and stereoisomers thereof; with a microorganism or enzyme derived therefrom capable of selectively catalyzing the hydroxylation of said R 5 group to —CH 2 OH; and b) effecting said hydroxylation.