Patent ID: 7189844

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of the following formula I, said process comprising cyclizing a compound of the following formula III in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst in a suitable organic solvent, wherein the process is performed in a gaseous fluid at supercritical or near-supercritical conditions to obtain a compound of the following formula I: wherein R A is a leaving group or a group of formula II W is CH or N, L 0 is H, halo, C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 3-6 cycloalkoxy, hydroxy, or N(R 23 ) 2 , wherein each R 23 is independently H, C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl; L 1 , L 2 are each independently H, halogen, C 1-4 alkyl, —O—C 1-4 alkyl, or —S—C 1-4 alkyl (the sulfur being in any oxidized state); or L 0 and L 1 or L 0 and L 2 may be covalently bonded to form together with the two C-atoms to which they are linked a 4-, 5- or 6-membered carbocyclic ring wherein one or two (in the case of a 5- or 6-membered ring)-CH 2 — groups not being directly bonded to each other, may be replaced each independently by —O— or NR a wherein R a is H or C 1-4 alkyl, and wherein said ring is optionally mono- or di-substituted with C 1-4 alkyl; R 22 is H, halo, C- 6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 1-6 thioalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 3-6 cycloalkoxy, C 2-7 alkoxyalkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, C 6 or C 10 aryl or Het, 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 cycloalkyl, aryl or Het being substituted with R 24 , wherein R 24 is H, halo, C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 3-6 cycloalkoxy, NO 2 , N(R 25 ) 2 , NH—C(O)—R 25 ; or NH—C(O)—NH—R 25 , wherein each R 25 is independently: H, C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl; or R 24 is NH—C(O)—OR 26 wherein R 26 is C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl; R 3 is hydroxy, NH 2 , or a group of formula —NH—R 9 , wherein R 9 is C 6 or 10 aryl, heteroaryl, —C(O)—R 20 , —C(O)—NHR 20 or —(O)—OR 20 , wherein R 20 is C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl; D is a 3 to 7 atom saturated alkylene chain optionally containing one to three heteroatoms independently selected from: O, S or N—R 27 , wherein R 27 is H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl or C(O)R 28 , wherein R 28 is C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl or C 6 or 10 aryl; R 4 is H, or from one to three substituents at any carbon atom of said chain D, said substituent independently selected from the group consisting of: C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, hydroxy, halo, amino, oxo, thio, or C 1-6 thioalkyl; A is an amide of formula —C(O)—NH—R 11 , wherein R 11 is selected from the group consisting of: C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl, C 6 or 10 aryl, C 7-16 aralkyl, or SO 2 R 5A wherein R 5A is C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl,C 1-6 alkyl-C 3-7 cycloalkyl; or A is a carboxylic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.