905915-86-8Relevant articles and documents
METHOD FOR PURIFYING NOROXYMORPHONE COMPOUNDS
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Page/Page column 15-16, (2008/06/13)
The invention relates to a method for purifying plant extracts that are substantially composed of noroxymorphone compounds and that contain in the a,? position unsaturated noroxymorphones as contaminants. The method comprises the following steps: (a) reacting the plant extract or the product of a subsequent step in synthesis of a selected noroxymorphone compound in a reaction by which the hydroxyl groups present in the mixture are converted to leaving groups of the formula -OR2, wherein R2 represents the inserted group of the leaving group; (b) optionally removing the leaving groups; (c) subjecting the mixture thereby obtained to a selective hydration so that a saturated bond is formed in the α,? position of the unsaturated noroxymorphone compound and the remaining present leaving groups are each converted to a hydroxyl group; and then optionally (d) isolating the pure noroxymorphone compound. The invention also relates to the manufacture of the noroxymorphone so purified to naltrexone or naloxone or to a salt of these compounds or to a quaternary derivative of these compounds. The invention finally relates to the pharmaceutical compositions comprising the inventive compound.
