Beecham Group Plc

Beecham Pharmaceuticals (Pte) Limited

Paul Smith

Frederick Cassidy

Gillian E Smith

A process for preparing a compound of formula (I): ##STR1## in which Ar represents an aryl or substituted aryl group and R.sup.3 represents an alkyl group, which comprises reducing a compound of formula (II): ##STR2## in which Ar and R.sup.3 are as defined for formula (I), and Hal represents a halogen atom.

Process for preparing aryl-substituted piperidines

A pure, crystalline hydrate of (.+-.)endo-4-amino-5-chloro-2-methoxy-N-(1'-azabicyclo[3.3.1]non-4'-yl)-be nzamide hydrochloride, having useful pharmacological activity namely gastric motility enhancing activity, anti-emetic activity and 5-HT M-receptor antagonist activity.

Pharmacologically active hydrated azabicyclo compound

A process for the preparation of 3-dimethylamino-1-phenyl-(m-chlorophenyl)propan-2-ol and its salts which comprises the Raney nickel catalysed reduction of 3-nitro-1-phenyl-(1-m-chlorophenyl)propan-2-ol with simultaneous or subsequent dimethylation and thereafter, if desired, salification.

3-Nitro-1-phenyl-1-(m-chlorophenyl)-propan-2-ol.

A process for the preparation of a compound of the formula (A): ##STR1## wherein: R.sub.3 is a C.sub.1-5 alkyl group, a C.sub.3-6 alkenyl group, a C.sub.3-6 cycloalkyl group or an alkylphenyl group in which the alkyl moiety contains 1 to 3 carbon atoms and the phenyl moiety is optionally substituted; R.sub.4 is a hydroxyl group, or a group OR.sub.6 wherein R.sub.6 is a C.sub.2-7 acyl group, a C.sub.1-4 alkyl group, or an optionally substituted benzyl group; R.sub.5 is hydrogen or a C.sub.1-5 alkyl group; or R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 together with the carbon atom to which they are joined represent a carbonyl group; which process comprises the reaction of a compound of the formula (C): ##STR2## wherein Q is a carbonyl group protected by a reagent capable of selectively protecting the 3-carbonyl of androstenedione, and R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are as defined in formula (A), to generate an unprotected carbonyl group in place of the protected carbonyl group Q. This process has advantages over the known process for the preparation of compounds of formula (A).

Growing community of inventors

Harlow, United Kingdom

Paul Smith