Process for the preparation of apremilast

1. An improved process for the preparation of Apremilast of Formula (I)

which comprises:

i) reacting ethyl vanillin of formula (II)

with hydroxylamine, or salt thereof in a solvent to obtain 3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzonitrile of formula (III);

ii) methylating 3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzonitrile of formula (III) with O-methylating reagent in a solvent in the presence of a base to obtain 3-ethoxy-4-methoxybenzonitrile of formula (IV);

iii) reacting 3-ethoxy-4-methoxybenzonitrile of formula (IV) with dimethyl sulfone and n-BuLi in hexane in a solvent to obtain

(E/Z)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethenamine of formula (V);

iv) reducing (E/Z)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethenamine of formula (V) with reducing agent and chiral auxiliary in a solvent to obtain

1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethanamine of formula (VI);

v) reacting 1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethanamine of formula (VI) with N-acetyl-L-valine in a solvent to obtain

(1S)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethenamine-N-acetyl-L-valine salt of formula (VII);

vi) reacting (1S)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethenamine-N-acetyl-L-valine salt of formula (VII) with 3-acetamino phthalic anhydride of formula (VIII)

in the presence of acetic acid in a solvent to obtain crude Apremilast; and

vii) purifying crude Apremilast with mixed solvent to obtain Apremilast of Formula (I).

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein,

in step i) the solvent is selected from acetonitrile, ethyl acetate, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, chloroform, N-methylpyrrolidinone, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, formic acid, acetic acid, or mixtures thereof;

in step ii) the base is selected from potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, caesium carbonate, caesium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate; the solvent is selected from acetone, ethyl methyl ketone, ethyl isobutyl ketone, acetonitrile, ethyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, xylene, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide or cyclohexane; and the O-methylating reagent is selected from methyl iodide, dimethyl sulfate, diazomethane, methyl triflate, dimethyl carbonate, diazomethane or tri methyl silyl diazomethane;

in step iii) the solvent is selected from tetrahydrofuran, methyl tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, N-methyl pyrrolidone, Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), glyme, diglyme, toluene, xylene, hexanes or mixtures thereof; and

in step iv) the reducing agent is selected from combination of sodium borohydride and boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, sodium borohydride and titanium tetrachloride, sodium borohydride and zinc dichloride, sodium borohydride, ferric chloride, potassium borohydride and boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, potassium borohydride and titanium tetrachloride, potassium borohydride and zinc dichloride, potassium borohydride and ferric chloride, lithium borohydride and boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, lithium borohydride and titanium tetrachloride, lithium borohydride and zinc dichloride or lithium borohydride and ferric chloride; solvent is selected tetrahydrofuran, methyl tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol, toluene, dichloromethane, chloroform or mixture thereof; and chiral auxiliary is selected from L-valinol, L- valine, L-leucine, L-proline, L-pyroglutamic acid, L-madelic acid, L-tartaric acid, L-phenyl alanine, L-phenyl glycine or L-champho sulfonic acid.

3. The process as claimed in step (ii) of claim 1 , wherein base used is potassium carbonate and the solvent used is acetone.

4. The process as claimed in step (iv) of claim 1 , wherein chiral auxiliary used is L-valinol.

5. The process for the preparation of

3-ethoxy-4-methoxybenzonitrile of formula (IV) as claimed in step ii) of claim 1 ,

which comprises:

methylating 3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzonitrile of formula (III)

with methyl iodide in acetone in the presence of potassium carbonate to obtain

3-ethoxy-4-methoxybenzonitrile of formula (IV).

6. The process for the preparation of 1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethanamine of formula (VI) in step iii) of claim 1 ,

which comprises:

reducing (E/Z)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethenamine of formula (V)

with mixture of sodium borohydride and boron trifluoride diethyl etherate and L-valinol in tetrahydrofuran obtain 1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl) ethanamine of formula (VI).