Production of fluoxetine

PURPOSE: To obtain, with excellent yield and in high purity, fluoxetine useful as anti-depressant from easily available raw materials under a relatively mild reaction condition using a reagent of lower toxicity. CONSTITUTION: After 3-dimethylamino-1-phenyl-1-propanol of formula I is allowed to react in an appropriate solvent with a compound of formula II, e.g. ethyl chloroformate, released HX is neutralized thereby obtaining a new compound of formula III. Subsequently a compound of formula IV is obtained by hydrolyzing the new compound, and this compound is allowed to react with a compound of formula V, thereby obtaining N-methyl-3-[(4-trifluoro-methyl) phenoxy]-3-phenylpropylamine (fluoxetine) of formula VI. Optionally the product is further converted by known process into an acid addition salt. In the formula II, X is a halogen; R is an alkyl. In the formula V, Y is Cl, F. COPYRIGHT: (C)1993,JPO