Patent ID: 7223867

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a compound of formula (I) which is a single diastereoisomer or part of a mixture of diastereoisomers in which one diastereoisomer is predominant wherein: R is C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, hydroxy, halo, C 1-6 alkenyl, C 1-6 alkynyl, amino, C 1-6 alkylamino, di(C 1-6 alkyl)amino, hydroxyC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxyC 1-6 alkyl, arylC 1-6 alkoxy, heteroarylC 1-6 alkoxy, aminoC 1-6 alkyl, (C 1-6 alkyl)aminoC 1-6 alkyl, di(C 1-6 alkyl)aminoC 1-6 alkyl, arylC 1-6 alkylamino, heteroarylC 1-6 alkylamino; R 1 is hydrogen or R; R 2 is hydroxy, C 1-6 alkoxy, amino, C 1-6 alkylamino, di(C 1-6 alkyl)amino; R 3 and R 4 are each independently selected from the list consisting of perhaloC 1-6 alkyl, hydrogen, halo, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, hydroxy, amino, C 1-6 alkylamino, di(C 1-6 alkyl)amino, hydroxyC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxyC 1-6 alkyl, aminoC 1-6 alkyl, (C 1-6 alkyl)aminoC 1-6 alkyl, di(C 1-6 alkyl)aminoC 1-6 alkyl, aryl, and COX wherein X may be hydroxy, C 1-6 alkoxy, C 1-6 alkyl, amino, C 1-6 alkylamino, or di(C 1-6 alkyl)amino; and wherein any alkyl group or the alkyl moiety of any group containing such a moiety may be substituted one or more times by halo; which comprises: reacting a compound of formula (II) or (III), wherein: R and R 1 are as hereinbefore defined for formula (I); which is a single diastereoisomer or part of a mixture of diastereoisomers in which one diastereoisomer is predominant, with a compound of formula (IV) wherein: R 3 and R 4 are as hereinbefore defined for formula (I); and compounds of formula (II) and (III) are prepared from compounds of formula (V) wherein: R and R1 are as hereinbefore defined for formula (I), by reduction with a suitable reducing agent under reductive amination conditions with a suitable reducing agent or by catalytic hydrogenation.