Patent ID: 7034150

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a carbapenem antibacterial compound of a formula (4) or a salt thereof comprising reacting a compound of formula (1) or a salt thereof wherein R 1 represents a C 1 –C 3 alkyl group, a compound of a formula (2) or a salt thereof wherein R 2 and R 3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or an organic residue group selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylalkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylalkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaralkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaralkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkenyl group and a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkynyl group, or R 2 and R 3 , together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a ring, said ring being a substituted pyrrolidino group of a formula wherein n represents an integer of 0, 1 or 2; p represents an integer of 0, 1 or 2; R a represents a hydrogen atom or a C 1 –C 4 alkyl group; B represents a phenylene group, a phenylenealkylene group, wherein the alkylene moiety thereof is a C 1 –C 3 alkylene group, a cyclohexylene group, a cyclohexylenealkylene group, wherein the alkylene group which is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 to 3 substituents selected from the group consisting of an amino group, a hydroxyl group, a cyclohexylalkyl group having a C 1 –C 3 alkyl group, a C 1 –C 4 alkyl group, a phenyl and a benzyl group, R b represents a hydrogen atom or a C 1 –C 4 alkyl group, and R c represents a group of formula —C(═NH)R d , wherein R d represents a hydrogen atom, a C 1 –C 4 alkyl group or a group of formula —NR c R f , wherein R c and R f each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C 1 –C 4 alkyl group, and a compound of a formula (3) or a salt thereof wherein L represents a leaving group, and the hydroxyl group and the carboxyl group each independently is unprotected or protected by a protecting group, to provide a compound of the formula (4) or a salt thereof wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 have the same meanings as defined above, and the hydroxyl group and the carboxyl group each independently is unprotected or protected by a protecting group.