| abstract |
A process for converting paclitaxel or docetaxel to the respective trihydrate characterized by very high purity, comprises dissolving either paclitaxel or docetaxel in a mixture of alkane and chlorinated alkane to provide a crude product of 65-75% assay and dissolving the crude product in an alkyl ketone, followed by addition of an alkane to provide a product of increased chromatographic purity; dissolving the product of increased chromatographic purity in an aliphatic nitrile, with addition of water to precipitate taxane trihydrate. |