NOVEL PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR MACROLIDE COMPOUND

摘要

The invention has been achieved as a result of intensive studies of a production process such that a macrolide compound (II) useful as a pharmaceutical can be produced efficiently at a high yield and a low cost and can be stably supplied. The inventors found that the above object is achieved by using a macrolide compound (I) (for example, tacrolimus) as a raw material, and performing Wacker oxidation with the use of a dialkyl sulfoxide, an alkyl aryl sulfoxide or a diaryl sulfoxide as a solvent, or with the use of a palladium complex containing a dialkyl sulfoxide, an alkyl aryl sulfoxide or a diaryl sulfoxide as a ligand. According to theproduction process of this application, it becomes possible to stably supply the macrolide compound (II) from the expensive raw material (I) such as tacrolimus efficiently at a high yield. Thus, it is an industrially very useful process and can provide the macrolide compound (II) which is very useful as a pharmaceutical.