Enantioselective methods for preparing chiral amine intermediates

Abstract

A method for preparing chiral amines useful as pharmaceutical intermediates is provided. The method comprises contacting an ester of formula I in which R1 is a methyl or an ethyl group; R2 is a linear or branched C1-C4 alkyl group; and n is 0 or 1 with an enantioselective ω-transaminase in the presence of an amino donor so that the ω-transaminase catalyses the enantioselective transfer of an amino group from the amino donor to the α- or β-ketone group of the ester of formula I to produce an amino ester product with enantiomeric excess of a selected enantiomer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.