| abstract |
A process for preparing (-)-trans-4-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-[[3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenoxy]methyl]-piperidine, a compound of formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, said process comprising hydrolyzing a compound of formula (II), wherein R may be selected from halo substituted or unsubstituted linear, branched or cyclic alkyl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, by treatment with a base in a solvent system comprising a polar aprotic water miscible solvent and a hydrocarbon solvent wherein the polar aprotic water miscible solvent is selected from a sulfoxide solvent, an amide solvent or mixture thereof. |