Tanabe Seiyaku Company, Limited

Hajime Iwai

Masanori Inamasu

Muneyoshi Ikezaki

Takeshi Kanno

Katsuyuki Noguchi

Hisao Otsuka

Takashi Morita

A benzylalcohol derivative of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is hydroxy, benzyloxy, halogen or alkoxy having one to four carbon atoms, and Ring A is monomethoxyphenyl, dimethoxyphenyl, trimethoxyphenyl or 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof is prepared by reducing a compound of the formula: ##STR2## wherein R' is benzyloxy, halogen or alkoxy having one to four carbon atoms, and Ring A is the same as defined above, to give a compound of the formula: ##STR3## wherein R' and Ring A are the same as defined above, and when R' is benzyloxy, if required, further subjecting the compound [I'] to catalytic hydrogenation to give a compound of the formula: ##STR4## wherein Ring A is the same as defined above. The benzylalcohol derivative [I] is useful as an anti-diabetic agent.

Benzylalcohol derivative and process for preparing

A benzylalcohol derivative of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is hydroxy, benzyloxy, alkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms or halogen, and Ring A is monomethoxyphenyl, dimethoxyphenyl, trimethoxyphenyl or 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl is prepared by reducing a compound of the formula: ##STR2## wherein R' is benzyloxy, alkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms or halogen, and Ring A is the same as defined above, and when R' is benzyloxy, if required, further subjecting the product to catalytic hydrogenation. The compounds (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof are used as anti-diabetic agents.

Novel benzylalcohol derivative and process for preparing the same

Racemic or optically active .alpha.-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenethylaminomethyl)-2-hydroxybenzylalcohol [I] may be prepared by condensing 2,3,4-trimethoxyphenethylamine with 2-benzyloxyphenylglyoxal or its hydrate, reducing the resultant .alpha.(2,3,4-tri-methoxyphenethylimino)-2-benzyloxyacetophenone to give .alpha.(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenethylaminomethyl)-2-benzyloxybenzylalcohol, if required, resolving the 2-benzyloxybenzylalcohol derivative into each of its optically active enantiomers, and subjecting the racemic modification or optically active enantiomer of said 2-benzyloxybenzylalcohol derivative to catalytic hydrogenation. The compound [I] and pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof are useful as anti-diabetic agents. They may be also used in the treatment of thrombosis.

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Hasuda, Japan

Hajime Iwai