Production method of phenylethanolamine compound, and its intermediate

1. A production method of a compound represented by the following general formula (III) or its pharmaceutically-acceptable salt, or their hydrate or solvate:

(wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; R 2 represents an alkyl group optionally substituted with an alkoxycarbonyl group),

which comprises reacting, without protecting the amino group thereof, a compound represented by the following general formula (I):

(wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom),

with a compound represented by the following general formula (II):

R 2 —X  (II)

(wherein R 2 represents an alkyl group optionally substituted with an alkoxycarbonyl group; X represents a halogen atom) in the presence of a carbonate.

2. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) is obtained by reacting a compound represented by the following general formula (IV):

(wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom),

with a compound represented by the following formula (V):

3. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is reacted with the compound represented by formula (II) in the presence of potassium carbonate.

4. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is reacted with the compound represented by formula (II) in the presence of finely-ground potassium carbonate.

5. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is reacted with the compound represented by formula (II) in a carbonyl group-having solvent.

6. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) is reacted with the compound represented by formula (II) in methyl ethyl ketone.

7. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein R 1 is a halogen atom.

8. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein R 1 is a chlorine atom.

9. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein R 2 is a methyl group substituted with one alkoxycarbonyl group having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms.

10. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein R 2 is an ethoxycarbonylmethyl group.

11. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the absolute configuration of the asymmetric carbon α is R-configuration.

12. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the absolute configuration of the asymmetric carbon β is R-configuration.

13. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the absolute configuration of the asymmetric carbon γ is R-configuration.

14. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is a solvate of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol.

15. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 toluene-solvate.

16. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 ethyl acetate-solvate.

17. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is a crystal of a solvate of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol.

18. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is a crystal of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 toluene-solvate.

19. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate is a crystal of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 ethyl acetate-solvate.

20. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically-acceptable salt of the compound represented by formula (III) is a maleate.

21. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , which comprises reacting a crystal of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 toluene-solvate as a starting material, with ethyl bromoacetate in methyl ethyl ketone in the presence of potassium carbonate, and adding maleic acid thereto.

22. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , which comprises reacting a crystal of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 toluene-solvate as a starting material, with ethyl bromoacetate in methyl ethyl ketone in the presence of finely-ground potassium carbonate, and adding maleic acid thereto.

23. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , which comprises reacting a crystal of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 ethyl acetate-solvate as a starting material, with ethyl bromoacetate in methyl ethyl ketone in the presence of potassium carbonate, and adding maleic acid thereto.

24. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , which comprises reacting a crystal of (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 ethyl acetate-solvate as a starting material, with ethyl bromoacetate in methyl ethyl ketone in the presence of fine-ground potassium carbonate, and adding maleic acid thereto.

25. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in HPLC analysis of the reaction solution after the reaction, the relative area percentage of the peak derived from the compound represented by formula (I) or its solvate, (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3 toluene-solvate, or (1R)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1R,3R)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexylamino]ethanol 1/3-ethyl acetate solvate is at most about 1.0 %.

26. The production method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carbonate is ground with a jet mill.

27. The production method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the carbonate has a mean particle size of at most about 10 micrometers.