Patent ID: 8314218

Claim:
A process for synthesizing a macrolide compound comprising: (i) converting a compound of structure 2 to a compound of structure 3; (ii) reducing the compound of structure 3 with hydrogen in the presence of a) a platinum or palladium catalyst; b) a polar aprotic solvent, selected from N,N′-dimethylethyleneurea, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide and combinations thereof; (iii) adding acetic acid toward the end of the reaction to achieve reaction completion; and (iv) reacting the compound of structure 7 with an aldehyde of structure R—C(O)H in the presence of a reducing agent to form a compound of Structure 8a; wherein R is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or aralkyl