Patent ID: 7084268

Claim:
A process for producing (+)-(1R,5S,6S)-6-[(R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-1-methyl-2-[(2S,4S)-2-[(3R)-pyrrolidine-3-yl-(R)-hydroxymethyl]pyrrolidine-4-yl]thio-1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid monohydrochloride trihydrate crystals, which comprises dissolving (+)-(1R,5S,6S)-6-[(R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-1-methyl-2-[(2S,4S)-2-[(3R)-pyrrolidine-3-yl-(R)-hydroxymethyl]pyrrolidine-4-yl]thio-1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid or a salt thereof in a solvent system consisting of water and isopropanol and adding (+)-(1R,5S,6S)-6-[(R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-1-methyl-2-[(2S,4S)-2-[(3R)-pyrrolidine-3-yl-(R)-hydroxymethyl]pyrrolidine-4-yl]thio-1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic hydroxymethyl]pyrrolidine-4-yl]thio-1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid monohydrochloride trihydrate as seed crystals in crystallization in an amount of about 3 to 5% by weight based on the quantified amount of (+)-(1R,5S,6S)-6-[(R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-1-methyl-2-[(2S,4S)-2-[(3R)-pyrrolidine-3-yl-(R)-hydroxymethyl]pyrrolidine-4-yl]thio-1-carbapen-2-em-3-carboxylic acid.