NOVEL PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF USEFUL INTERMEDIATES

1 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . A process for the production of a compound of formula (I), wherein said compound of formula (I)

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof, wherein

R and R 1 are independently, alkyl or benzyl, which benzyl is optionally substituted by one, two or three substituents including —O-alkyl; alkyl or halogen; with the proviso that:

if R is alkyl, R 1 in formula (I) may also be hydrogen or silyl, and R 1 in formula (II) may also be silyl;

R 2 is hydrogen or halogen;

is converted into a compound of formula (D)

by:

a) converting said compound of formula (I) into a compound formula (A)

in the presence of a mineral acid and an ethereal solvent at temperatures between room temperature (RT) and 60° C.; and

b) further reacting said compound of formula (A) with a compound of formula (B)

in the presence of diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD), ethyldiphenylphosphine (EtPPh 2 ) and dimethylacetamide (DMA), to give a compound of formula (C)

and

c) said compound of formula (C) is further reacted in the presence of palladium (II) acetate (Pd(OAc) 2 ), potassium acetate (KOAc), triphenylphosphine (Ph 3 P), tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (Bu 4 NBr) and acetonitrile (MeCN) to give the corresponding compound of formula (D)

wherein

R 2 is defined in claim 1 ;

R 8 and R 9 are independently alkyl or halogen; and

R 10 is 4-methyl-piperidin-1-ylmethyl or hydrogen.

19 . The process according to claim 18 , wherein R 2 and R 10 are both hydrogen, and R 8 and R 9 are both fluorine.

20 . The process according to claim 18 , wherein R 2 is hydrogen, R 10 is 4-methyl-piperidin-1-ylmethyl, R 8 is chlorine and R 9 is methyl.

21 . The process according to claim 18 , wherein the process step a) is carried out in the presence of hydrobromic acid (HBr) and dimethoxyethane (DME) at temperatures between 45 and 55° C.

22 . A compound of general formula (I)

wherein

R and R 1 are independently alkyl or benzyl, which benzyl is optionally substituted by —O-alkyl; alkyl or halogen; and

R 2 is hydrogen or halogen.

23 . The compound of formula (I) according to claim 22 , which is (R)-3-(3-benzyloxymethyl-2-methoxy-pyridin-4-yl)-3-hydroxy-pentanoic acid.

24 . A process for converting a compound of formula (I) as claimed in claim 22 into a compound of formula (D)

said process comprising the steps of:

a) converting said compound of formula (I) into a compound formula (A)

in the presence of a mineral acid and an ethereal solvent at temperatures between room temperature (RT) and 60° C.; and

b) further reacting said compound of formula (A) with a compound of formula (B)

in the presence of diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD), ethyldiphenylphosphine (EtPPh 2 ) and dimethylacetamide (DMA), to give a compound of formula (C)

and

c) further reacting said compound of formula (C) in the presence of palladium (II) acetate (Pd(OAc) 2 ), potassium acetate (KOAc), triphenylphosphine (Ph 3 P), tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (Bu 4 NBr) and acetonitrile (MeCN) to give the corresponding compound of formula (D)

wherein;

R 8 and R 9 are independently alkyl or halogen; and

R 10 is 4-methyl-piperidin-1-ylmethyl or hydrogen.

25 . The process of claim 24 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is

and the compound produced is:

26 . A process for the preparation of the compounds of formula (I) according to claim 22 comprising:

a) reacting a compound of formula (II),

with a compound of formula (III),

and

b) further reacting in the presence of alkali- or earth alkali metal hydroxides to give the compounds of formula (I),

wherein

R and R 1 are independently, alkyl or benzyl, which benzyl is optionally substituted by —O-alkyl; alkyl or halogen;

R 2 is hydrogen or halogen;

X is

R 3 and R 4 are hydrogen, phenyl, alkyl or —C(CH 3 ) 2 -phenyl;

R 5 is phenyl, benzyl or alkyl;

R 6 is hydrogen, alkyl or phenyl; and

R 7 is hydrogen, methyl or phenyl; or alternatively

R 5 and R 6 , together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form an indan moiety and R 7 is hydrogen;

R 11 and R 12 are independently alkyl, cycloalkyl, benzyl or phenyl; and

R 13 is phenyl or alkyl.

27 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the compound of formula (D) is:

28 . A compound prepared by a process according to claim 18 .

29 . (canceled)