PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF ATORVASTATIN

摘要

Provided is a method for manufacturing atorvastatin serving as an inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, which shows excellent stereoselectivity through an economic way. A method for manufacturing atorvastatin represented by the formula 1 comprises the following steps of: reacting an alkyl aldehyde compound represented by the formula 4 to diazo acetate represented by the formula 5 in the presence of a catalyst to produce a beta-keto ester compound represented by the formula 6; deprotecting the beta-keto ester compound to produce a compound represented by the formula 7; reducing the compound represented by the formula 7 to produce a compound represented by the formula 8; and converting the compound represented by the formula 8 into a lactone compound represented by the formula 9 to produce the atorvastatin. In the formulas, R represents a C1-C4 alkyl group; and P is a silyl protecting group.