Process for producing simvastatin

摘要

A process for manufacturing simvastatin is provided comprising reacting lovastatin with an organic boronic acid to produce a derivative of lovastatin with a hemiboronate group attached to the C-4 carbon of the pyranyl group, methylating the 2-methylbutyryloxy group on the lovastatin derivative to form a 2,2-dimethylbutyryloxy group on the lovastatin derivative and thereafter removing the hemiboronate group to produce simvastatin.