A process for preparing an amide of 5,8,11-eicosatriynoic acid having the formula C.sub.8 H.sub.17 --(C.tbd.C--CH.sub.2).sub.3 --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 COR wherein R is ##STR17## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, each independently, represent hydrogen or linear or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 lower alkyl, optionally interrupted by one or more hetero atoms chosen from oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen, said lower alkyl being unsubstituted or substituted with one or more hydroxyl groups, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 not being able to denote hydrogen simultaneously, or alternatively R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a heterocycle selected from pyrrolidino, morpholino, piperazinyl and 4-(2'-hydroxyethyl) piperazinyl, one of the radicals R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 also being able to represent, when the other is hydrogen, an aryl radical having the formula ##STR18## or alternatively ##STR19## wherein R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, each independently, represent hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, hydroxyl, halogen, carboxyl or trifluoromethyl, said process comprising
- (a) reacting 1-decyne having the formula C.sub.8 H.sub.17 --C.tbd.C--H with 1,4-dihalo-2-butyne having the formula XCH.sub.2 C.tbd.C--CH.sub.2 X wherein X is halogen in the presence of a strong base to form 1-halo-2,5-tetradecadiyne having the formula C.sub.8 H.sub.17 --C.tbd.C--CH.sub.2 --C.tbd.C--CH.sub.2 X wherein X has the meaning given above,
- (b) reacting the said 1-halo-2,5-tetradecadiyne from step (a) with 5-hexynoic acid having the formula H--C.tbd.C(CH.sub.2).sub.3 COOH to form 5,8,11-eicosatriynoic acid,
- (c) reacting said 5,8,11-eicosatriynoic acid from step (b) with PCl.sub.5 and eliminating POCl.sub.3 to form the corresponding acid chloride and
- (d) reacting said corresponding acid chloride from step (c) in the presence of a tertiary amine, with an amine having the formula ##STR20## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, each independently, represent hydrogen or linear or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 lower alkyl, optionally interrupted by one or more hetero atoms chosen from oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen, said lower alkyl being unsubstituted or substituted with one or more hydroxyl groups, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 not being able to denote hydrogen simultaneously, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a heterocycle selected from pyrrolidino, morpholino, piperazinyl and 4-(2'-hydroxyethyl) piperazinyl, one of the radicals R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 also being able to represent, when the other is hydrogen, an aryl radical having the formula ##STR21## or alternatively, a benzyl radical having the formula ##STR22## wherein R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, each independently, represent hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, hydroxyl, halogen, carboxyl or trifluoromethyl, so as to form said amide of 5,8,11-eicosatriynoic acid.