Process for preparing oxycodone having reduced levels of 14-hydroxycodeinone

1. A process for preparing oxycodone base having less than 10 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone comprising:

(a) heating a mixture of oxycodone base starting material having more than 100 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone and between about 0.005 and about 0.05 by weight of a sulfite compound selected from the group consisting of sodium hydrosulfite, sodium bisulfite, and sodium metabisulfite in an alcohol/water solvent under basic conditions to a temperature of at least about 85° C. for at least about 30 minutes; and

(b) isolating oxycodone base having less than 10 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the sulfite compound is sodium hydrosulfite.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the alcohol/water solvent is n-butanol/water.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture of step (a) is heated for at least about 1 hour.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the basic condition is obtained by adding sodium bicarbonate.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of the sulfite compound is between about 0.03 and about 0.05 by weight.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the oxycodone base starting material of step (a) has up to 2400 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the oxycodone base of step (b) is isolated by cooling the mixture of step (a) to precipitate the oxycodone base having less than 10 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

9. A process for preparing oxycodone hydrochloride having less than 50 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone comprising:

(a) heating a mixture of oxycodone hydrochloride starting material having more than 100 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone and between about 0.005 and about 0.05 by weight of a sulfite compound selected from the group consisting of sodium hydrosulfite, sodium bisulfite, and sodium metabisulfite in an alcohol/water solvent to a temperature of at least about 85° C. for at least about 30 minutes; and

(b) isolating oxycodone hydrochloride having less than 50 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the sulfite compound is sodium hydrosulfite.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the amount of the sodium hydrosulfite is between about 0.03 and about 0.05 by weight, and the mixture of step (a) is heated to about 90° C. for about 2 hours.

12. The process of claim 9 wherein the alcohol/water solvent is isopropanol/water.

13. The process of claim 9 wherein the alcohol/water solvent is n-butanol/water.

14. The process of claim 9 wherein the mixture of step (a) is heated for at least about 1 hour.

15. The process of claim 9 wherein the amount of the sulfite compound is between about 0.03 and about 0.05 by weight.

16. The process of claim 9 , wherein the oxycodone hydrochloride starting material of step (a) has up to 1600 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

17. The process of claim 9 , wherein the oxycodone hydrochloride of step (b) is isolated by cooling the mixture of step (a) to precipitate the oxycodone hydrochloride having less than 50 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

18. A process for preparing oxycodone hydrochloride having less than 75 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone comprising:

(a) stirring a mixture of oxycodone base starting material having more than 100 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone, with hydrochloric acid, and between about 0.005 and about 0.05 by weight of a metal powder selected from the group consisting of zinc powder and magnesium powder in an alcohol/water solvent for between about 1 and about 5 hours; and

(b) isolating oxycodone hydrochloride having less than 75 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein the metal powder is zinc powder.

20. The process of claim 18 wherein the amount of the metal powder is between about 0.03 and about 0.05 by weight.

21. The process of claim 18 , wherein the oxycodone base starting material of step (a) has up to 4900 ppm of 14-hydroxycodeinone.

22. The process of claim 18 , wherein the mixture of step (a) is stirred for between about 3 and about 4 hours.