Patent ID: 8039626

Claim:
A process for the preparation of 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptathecin of formula I comprising oxidizing 7-ethyl-1,2,6,7-tetrahydrocamptothecin of formula IV with an oxidizing agent selected from the group comprising iodosobenzene, an ester of iodosobenzene, sodium periodate, potassium periodate, potassium peroxodisulfate and ammonium peroxodisulfate, in a solvent formed by a saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and in the presence of water, wherein the water is used in an amount of 0.98 to 1.88 mol per 1 mol of 7-ethyl-1,2,6,7-tetrahydrocamptothecin.