Patent ID: 7514557

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of formula II: wherein Het is a five-, six- or seven-membered saturated or unsaturated heterocycle containing from one to four heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur; said heterocycle being substituted with R 1 at any available position on the heterocycle; R 1 is R 20 , —NR 22 COR 20 , —NR 22 COOR 20 —NR 22 R 21 and —NR 22 CONR 21 R 23 , wherein R 20 is selected from (C 1-8 )alkyl, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl and (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl(C 1-4 )alkyl-, wherein said cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl may be mono-, di- or tri-substituted with (C 1-3 )alkyl; R 21 is H or has one of the meanings of R 20 as defined above, R 22 and R 23 are independently selected from H and methyl, Alk is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group; R A is PG wherein PG is an amino-protecting group, or R A is a moiety of the formula: wherein: A is O or NH; B is (C 1-10 )alkyl, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl(C 1-4 )alkyl, a) wherein said cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl may be mono-, di- or tri-substituted with (C 1 -C 3 )alkyl; and b) wherein said alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl may be mono- or di-substituted with substituents selected from hydroxy and (C 1-4 )alkoxy; and c) wherein all said alkyl-groups may be mono-, di- or tri-substituted with halogen; and d) wherein said cycloalkyl-groups being 4-, 5-, 6- or 7-membered having optionally one (for the 4-, 5, 6, or 7-membered) or two (for the 5-, 6- or 7-membered) —CH 2 -groups not directly linked to each other replaced by —O— such that the O-atom is linked to the group A via at least two C-atoms; and R 2 is (C 1-8 )alkyl, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl or (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl(C 1-3 )alkyl, wherein said cycloalkyl groups may be mono-, di- or tri-substituted with (C 1-4 )alkyl; R B is CO 2 H or a moiety of the formula: wherein: R 3 is ethyl or vinyl; and R C is hydroxyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy or NHSO 2 R S wherein R S is (C 1-6 )alkyl, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl, (C 3-7 )cycloalkyl(C 1-6 )alkyl, phenyl, naphthyl, pyridinyl, phenyl(C 1-4 )alkyl, naphthyl(C 1-4 )alkyl or pyridinyl(C 1-4 )alkyl; all of which optionally being mono-, di- or tri-substituted with substituents selected from halogen, hydroxy, cyano, (C 1-4 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, —CO—NH 2 , —CO—NH(C 1-4 -alkyl), —CO—N(C 1-4 -alkyl) 2 , —NH 2 , —NH(C 1-4 -alkyl) and —N(C 1-4 -alkyl) 2 ; and all of which optionally being monosubstituted with nitro; or R S can be further selected from: —NH(C 1-6 alkyl), N(C 1-6 alkyl) 2 , -Het, said process comprising reacting a compound of formula QUIN, wherein X is an SO 2 R group, wherein R is C 1-6 alkyl, C 6 or C 10 aryl or heteroaryl, with a compound of formula P2 to obtain a compound of formula II: wherein Alk, Het, R 1 , R A and R B in formulas QUIN and P2 are the same as defined above for formula II.