Nippon Shinyaku Company, Ltd.

Takara Shuzo Co., Inc.

Masao Murayama

Teruya Nakamura

Osamu Tanabe

Osamu Suzuka

Hiromu Murai

Akira Obayashi

Shingo Matsumura

Akiro Obayashi

5-Benzy-2-pyridine carboxylic acids, in which the benzyl group is optionally substituted by one or two like or different alkyl, halo, alkoxy, nitro, amino, acetamido, hydroxy or acetoxy groups, and the corresponding amides and esters, possess dopamine .beta.-hydroxylase inhibitory properties and are useful as blood pressure lowering agents. The compounds, of which 5-(4-chlorobenzyl)-2-pyridine carboxylic acid, 5-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-2-pyridine carboxylic acid and 5-benzyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid are typical examples, can be prepared by a number of chemical methods.

5-Benzylpicolinic acid derivatives

Phenopicolinic acid is produced by culturing a strain of Paecilomyces. The compound, which may be alternatively named as 5-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid, is a hypotensive agent.

Process for the preparation of phenopicolinic acid

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Kyoto, Japan

Masao Murayama