Letrozole production process

1. A method for preparing letrozole, the method comprising the steps of:

reacting an activated bis-(4-cyanophenyl)-methane of the formula:

wherein X is a halogen or a sulfonate ester, with 1,2,4-triazole or a salt thereof in the presence of one or more water-immiscible organic solvents to produce a reaction mixture containing letrozole, and, as an impurity, isoletrozole;

optionally adding an organic acid to the reaction mixture;

adding water and at least one water-miscible solvent to the reaction mixture to produce a system comprising at least two liquid phases and at least one solid phase, wherein the solid phase comprises letrozole;

heating the system and allowing the mixture to cool, to selectively precipitate letrozole;

isolating the letrozole; and

optionally subjecting the isolated letrozole to one or more crystallizations,

wherein the isolated and optionally crystallized letrozole has a purity of at least about 95% by HPLC and contains less than about 1 wt % isoletrozole.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein X is a halogen.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein X is a chlorine or a bromine.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compound of formula III is produced by a process comprising chlorinating bis-(4-cyanophenyl)-methanol, to produce a compound of formula III, wherein X is a chlorine.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compound of formula III is produced by a process comprising brominating bis-(4-cyanophenyl)-methanol, to produce a compound of formula III, wherein X is a bromine.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the halo-bis-(4-cyanophenyl)-methane is isolated prior to reaction with 1,2,4-triazole or a salt thereof.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the compound of formula III is produced by a process comprising reacting bis-(4-cyanophenyl)-methanol with an acid selected from hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid and combinations thereof, to produce the compound of formula III, wherein X is a chlorine or a bromine, and, optionally isolating the product.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid and hydrobromic acid.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the halo-bis-(4-cyanophenyl)-methane and 1,2,4-triazole or a salt thereof are reacted in the presence of at least one base and at least one organic solvent, to produce letrozole, and, as an impurity, isoletrozole.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the base is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-miscible solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetonitrile, acetone, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture comprises DMF and toluene.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture is heated to from about 25° C. to about 60° C.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolated letrozole is further subjected to one or more crystallizations from one or more solvents selected from methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, methyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, diisopropyl ether, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the isolated letrozole is further subjected to one or more crystallizations from methanol.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the isolated and crystallized letrozole has a purity of at least about 98.5% by HPLC.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the isolated and crystallized letrozole contains isoletrozole at less than about 0.5 wt %.