Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Having -c- – wherein x is chalcogen – bonded directly to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2001-07-10
Owens, Amelia (Department: 1625)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Having -c-, wherein x is chalcogen, bonded directly to...
C549S467000, C564S315000, C564S316000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06258842
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of the well known antidepressant drug citalopram and intermediates used in the process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Citalopram is a well known antidepressant drug that has now been on the market for some years and has the following structure:
It is a selective, centrally active serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) reuptake inhibitor, accordingly having antidepressant activities. The antidepressant activity of the compound has been reported in several publications, ea. J. Hyttel,
Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiat.,
1982, 6, 277-295 and A. Gravem,
Acta Psychiatr. Scand.,
1987, 75, 478-486. The compound has further been disclosed to show effects in the treatment of dementia and cerebrovascular disorders, EP-A 474580.
Citalopram was first disclosed in DE 2,657,271 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,193. This patent publication describes the preparation of citalopram by one method and outlines a further method which may be used for preparing citalopram.
According to the process described, the corresponding 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-5-isobenzofurancarbonitrile is reacted with 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl-chloride in the presence of methylsulfinylmethide as condensing agent. The starting material was prepared from the corresponding 5-bromo derivative by reaction with cuprous cyanide.
According to the method, which is only outlined in general terms, citalopram may be obtained by ring closure of the compound:
in the presence of a dehydrating agent and subsequent exchange of the 5-bromo group with cuprous cyanide. The starting material of Formula II is obtained from 5-bromophthalide by two successive Grignard reactions, i.e. with 4-fluorophenyl magnesium chloride and N,N-dimethylaminopropyl magnesium chloride, respectively.
A new and surprising method and an intermediate for the preparation of citalopram were described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,884 according to which an intermediate of the formula
is subjected to a ring closure reaction by dehydration with strong sulfuric acid in order to obtain citalopram. The intermediate of Formula III was prepared from 5-cyanophthalide by two successive Grignard reactions, i.e. with 4-fluorophenyl magnesium halogenide and N,N-dimethylaminopropyl magnesium halogenide, respectively.
Finally, methods of preparing the individual enantiomers of citalopram are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No 4,943,590 from which it also appears that the ring closure of the intermediate of Formula III may be carried out via a labile ester with a base.
It has now, surprisingly, been found that citalopram may be manufactured by a novel favourable and safe procedure using convenient starting materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a novel method for the preparation of citalopram comprising the steps of:
a) reacting a compound of Formula IV
wherein R
1
is H or C
1-6
alkylcarbonyl, with a Grignard reagent of 4-halogen-fluorophenyl;
b) reacting the resulting compound of formula V
wherein R
1
is as defined above, with a Grignard reagent of 3-halogen-N,N-dimethylpropylamine;
c) effecting ring closure of the resulting compound of Formula VI
wherein R
1
is as defined above, and
d) converting the resulting compound of Formula VII
wherein R
1
is as defined above, into the corresponding 5-cyano derivative, i.e. citalopram, which is isolated as the base or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
In another aspect, the present invention provides the novel intermediates of Formula V.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides the novel intermediates of Formula VI.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides the novel intermediates of Formula VII.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an antidepressant pharmaceutical composition comprising citalopram manufactured by the process of the invention.
Throughout the specification and claims, C
1-6
alkyl refers to a branched or unbranched alkyl group having from one to six carbon atoms inclusive, such as methyl, ethyl, 1-propyl, 2-propyl, 1-butyl, 2-butyl, 2-methyl-2-propyl, 2,2-dimethyl-1-ethyl and 2-methyl-1-propyl.
Grignard reagents of 4-halogen-fluorophenyl that may be used in step a) are the magnesium halogenides, such as the chloride, bromide or iodide. Preferably the magnesium bromide is used. Grignard reagents of 3-halogen-N,N-dimethylpropylamine that may be used are the magnesium halogenides, such as the chloride, bromide or iodide, preferably the magnesium bromide. Preferably the two reactions are performed successively without isolation of the intermediate.
The ring closure of the compound of Formula VI may be effected by an acid or when R
1
is C
1-6
alkylcarbonyl, it may alternatively be carried out via a labile ester with a base. Acidic ring closure is performed by an inorganic acid, such as a sulfuric or phosphoric acid, or an organic acid, such as methylsulfonic, p-toluenesulfonic or trifluoroacetic acid. The basic ring closure is performed via a labile ester, such as the methane sulfonyl, p-toluene sulfonyl, 10-camphorsulfonyl, trifluoroacetyl or trifluoromethanesulfonyl ester with addition of a base, such as triethyl amine, dimethylaniline or pyridine. The basic reaction is performed in an inert solvent, preferably with cooling, in particular about 0° C. and is preferably carried out by a one-pot procedure, i.e. with esterification and simultaneous addition of the base.
When R
1
is H, the conversion of R
1
—NH— into cyano is preferably performed by diazotation and followed by reaction with CN
31
. Most preferably NaNO
2
and CuCN and/or NaCN are used. When R
1
is C
1-6
alkylcarbonyl, it is initially subjected to hydrolysis thereby obtaining the corresponding compound wherein R
1
is H which is the converted as described above. The hydrolysis may be performed either in acidic or basic environment.
The process of the invention may be carried out with or without isolation of the intermediates.
The process of the invention may also be used to prepare the active (S)-enantiomer of citalopram. In that case, the compound of formula VI is separated into the optically active enantiomers by a procedure analogous to the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,590 thereby obtaining the (S)-enantiomer of the compound of formula VI which is used in the ring closure reaction in step c). Accordingly, the individual enantiomers of the intermediates of formulas VI and VII, respectively, are embraced by the formulas.
Other reaction conditions, solvents, etc. are conventional conditions for such reactions and may easily be determined by a person skilled in the art.
The starting material of formula IV wherein R
1
is H is commercially available and may be prepared by known procedures (Tirouflet, J.; Bull. Soc. Sci. Bretagne 26, 1959, 35) and compounds wherein R
1
is acyl may be prepared from the amino compound (R
1
is H) by conventional acylation.
In one embodiment of the invention, R
1
is C
1-6
alkylcarbonyl, in particular methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, or butylcarbonyl.
In another embodiment of the invention R
1
is H.
The compound of general Formula I may be used as the free base or as a pharmacologically acceptable acid addition salt thereof. As acid addition salts, such salts formed with organic or inorganic acids may be used. Exemplary of such organic salts are those with maleic, fumaric, benzoic, ascorbic, succinic, oxalic, bis-methylenesalicylic, methanesulfonic, ethanedisulfonic, acetic, propionic, tartaric, salicylic, citric, gluconic, lactic, malic, mandelic, cinnamic, citraconic, aspartic. stearic, palmitic. itaconic, glycolic, p-amino-benzoic, glutamic, benzene sulfonic and theophylline acetic acids as well as the 8-halotheophyllines, for example 8-bromotheophylline. Exemplary of such inorganic salts are those with hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, sulfamic, phosphoric and nitric acids.
The acid addition salts of the compounds may be prepared by methods known in the art. The base is reacted with either the calculated amount of acid in a water
Bogeso Klaus Peter
Bregnedal Peter
Petersen Hans
Darby & Darby
H. Lundbeck A/S
Owens Amelia
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