Patent ID: 8415485

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound of formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, comprising the step of reacting a primary amine of formula (II) or a salt thereof, with a 2-(bromomethyl)benzoic acid ester of formula (III): in the presence of an inorganic base, wherein: R is alkyl or aryl; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, cyano, or cycloalkoxy of 3 to 18 carbon atoms; R 3 is hydroxyl, alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, benzyl or NR 4 R 5 ; each of X 1 ,X 2 , X 3 and X 4 is independently hydrogen, halo, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, nitro, cyano, hydroxyl, or —NR 4′ R 5′ ; or any two of X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 on adjacent carbon atoms, together with the depicted phenylene ring, form naphthylidiene; each of R 4 and R 5 is independently hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, or benzyl; or one of R 4 and R 5 is hydrogen, and the other is —COR 6 , or —SO 2 R 6 ; or R 4 and R 5 taken together are tetramethylene, pentamethylene, hexamethylene, or —CH 2 CH 2 X 5 CH 2 CH 2 —in which X 5 is —O —, —S —, or —NH —; each of R 4′ and R 5′ is independently hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, or benzyl; or one of R 4′ and R 5′ is hydrogen and the other is —COR 6′ , or —SO 2 R 6′ ; or R 4′ and R 5′ taken together are tetramethylene, pentamethylene, hexamethylene, or —CH 2 CH 2 X 5′ CH 2 CH 2 —in which X 5′ is —O —, —S —, or —NH —; and each of R 6 and R 6′ is independently hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 3 to 8 carbon atoms, or phenyl.