NEW ENZYMATIC AND CHEMICAL APPROACHES TO ENANTIOPURE ETODOLAC

(+)- and (-)-etodolac enantiomers were prepared both by classical reso lution via crystallisation of diastereoisomeric salts with (+) and (-) -alpha-methylbenzylamine, and by suitable manipulation of derivatives (-)-3- and (+)-4, obtained by lipase-catalysed kinetic resolution of r acemic 3. X-ray diffraction analysis of the 4-bromobenzoate derivative of (+)-3, obtained from enantiopure acetate (+)-4, allowed us to dete rmine the absolute (R) configuration of(-)-etodolac. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.