STABLE ANHYDROUS CRYSTALLINE DOCETAXEL AND METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION THEREOF

1 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . An anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel of formula (I), whose X-ray diffraction spectrum shows major peaks at 2θ values of 4.88, 9.22, 9.72, 10.38, 11.30, 11.88, 13.34, 14.56, 15.14, 16.62, 17.28, 17.66, 19.02, 19.62, 19.86, 20.86, 21.86, 24.58, and 26.98; and which contains 0.1% or less of the 7-epimer thereof:

wherein,

Ph is phenyl;

Ac is acetyl;

Bz is benzoyl; and

Boc is t-butoxycarbonyl.

13 . An anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel of formula (I), whose X-ray diffraction spectrum shows major peaks at 2θ values of 4.62, 8.22, 9.20, 10.64, 11.44, 12.42, 13.80, 14.20, 15.28, 17.28, 18.46, 20.62, and 21.86; and which contains 0.1% or less of the 7-epimer thereof:

wherein,

Ph is phenyl;

Ac is acetyl;

Bz is benzoyl; and

Boc is t-butoxycarbonyl.

14 . An anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel of formula (I), whose X-ray diffraction spectrum shows major peaks at 2θ values of 4.06, 4.82, 7.58, 8.20, 9.84, 11.44, 12.76, 13.62, 14.16, 16.98, 19.18, 19.60, and 19.90; and which contains 0.1% or less of the 7-epimer thereof:

wherein,

Ph is phenyl;

Ac is acetyl;

Bz is benzoyl; and

Boc is t-butoxycarbonyl.

15 . A method of preparing the anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel of claim 12 which comprises the steps of:

(i) dissolving docetaxel in a dichloromethane-methanol mixture as an organic solvent;

(ii) adding a hexane to the resulting solution; and

(iii) recovering the resulting crystals.

16 . method of preparing the anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel of claim 13 which comprises the steps of:

(i) dissolving docetaxel in a dichloromethane-acetonitrile mixture as an organic solvent;

(ii) adding a hexane to the resulting solution; and

(iii) recovering the resulting crystals.

17 . A method of preparing the anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel of claim 14 which comprises the steps of:

(i) dissolving an anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel of formula (I), whose X-ray diffraction spectrum shows major peaks at 2θ values of 4.64, 8.04, 9.24, 11.34, 12.54, 13.86, 15.52, 16.92, 18.48, 19.64, 20.40, 23.36, and 24.20 in a dimethyl ether as an organic solvent;

(ii) adding a hexane to the resulting solution; and

(iii) recovering the resulting crystals:

wherein,

Ph is phenyl;

Ac is acetyl;

Bz is benzoyl; and

Boc is t-butoxycarbonyl.

18 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein step (iii) comprises collecting the crystals by filtration, and drying the crystals at a temperature ranging from 20 to 80° C. under a reduced pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 torr.

19 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the organic solvent is used in an amount ranging from 5 to 30 ml based on one gram of docetaxel.

20 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the hexane is used in an amount ranging from 1 to 5-fold by volume based on the volume of the organic solvent.

21 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein step (iii) comprises collecting the crystals by filtration, and drying the crystals at a temperature ranging from 20 to 80° C. under a reduced pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 torr.

22 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the organic solvent is used in an amount ranging from 5 to 30 ml based on one gram of docetaxel.

23 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the hexane is used in an amount ranging from 1 to 5-fold by volume based on the volume of the organic solvent.

24 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein step (iii) comprises collecting the crystals by filtration, and drying the crystals at a temperature ranging from 20 to 80° C. under a reduced pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 torr.

25 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the organic solvent is used in an amount ranging from 5 to 30 ml based on one gram of docetaxel.

26 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the hexane is used in an amount ranging from 1 to 5-fold by volume based on the volume of the organic solvent.