Process for preparing derivatives of the taxoid family

A process, comprising the step of alkylating the hydroxyl functions at the 7-position and 10-position of a compound of formula (V):

• ##STR9## wherein A represents hydrogen, a side chain of formula (Ic), or an oxazolidine of formula (Id):
• ##STR10## wherein:
• G represents a hydroxyl protecting group;
• R.sub.1 represents:
• a straight or branched alkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a straight or branched alkenyl radical containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a straight or branched alkynyl radical containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl radical containing 3 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl or .alpha.- or .beta.-naphthyl radical, unsubstituted or substituted with one or more atoms or radicals chosen from halogen atoms and alkyl, alkenyl, alkyny, aryl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, arylthio, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, mercapto, formyl, acyl, acylamino, aroylamino, alkoxycarbonylamino, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, alkylcarbamoyl, dialkylcarbamoyl, cyano, nitro and trifluoromethyl radicals, or
• a 5-membered aromatic heterocycle containing one or more hetero atoms, which may be identical or different, chosen from nitrogen, oxygen or sulphur atoms, said 5-membered aromatic heterocycle being unsubstituted or substituted with one or more of halogen atoms or alkyl, aryl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkoxycarbonylamino, acyl, arylcarbonyl, cyano, carboxyl, carbamoyl, alkylcarbamoyl, dialkylcarbamoyl, or alkoxycarbonyl radicals,
• wherein when R.sub.1 is a substituted phenyl radical, a substituted .alpha.- or .beta.-naphthyl radical, or a substituted aromatic heterocycle, the alkyl radical substituent or the alkyl portion of another radical substituent contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms, the alkenyl or alkynyl radical substituent contains 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and the aryl radical substituent is a phenyl or .alpha.- or .beta.-naphthyl radical;
• R.sub.2 represents:
• 1) a benzoyl radical, unsubstituted or substituted with one or more atoms or radicals, which may be identical or different, chosen from halogen atoms and alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms or trifluoromethyl, thenoyl or furoyl radicals, or
• 2) a radical R'.sub.2 --C--CO--, wherein R'.sub.2 represents:
• an alkyl radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an alkenyl radical containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alkynyl radical containing 3 to 8 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl radical containing 3 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkenyl radical containing 4 to 6 carbon atoms or a bicycloalkyl radical containing 7 to 10 carbon atoms, these radicals being unsubstituted or substituted with one or more substituents chosen from halogen atoms and hydroxyl radicals, alkoxy radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, dialkylamino radicals in which each alkyl part contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms, piperidino or morpholino radicals, 1-piperazinyl radicals (unsubstituted or substituted in position 4 with an alkyl radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms or with a phenyl alkyl radical in which the alkyl part contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms), cycloalkyl radicals containing 3 to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkenyl radicals containing 4 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl radicals (unsubstituted or substituted with one or more atoms or radicals chosen from halogen atoms and alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkoxy radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms), cyano or carboxyl radicals or alkoxycarbonyl radicals in which the alkyl part contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
• a phenyl or .alpha.- or .beta.-naphthyl radical, unsubstituted or substituted with one or more atoms or radicals chosen from halogen atoms and alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkoxy radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a 5-membered aromatic heterocyclic radical preferably chosen from furyl and thienyl radicals,
• or a saturated heterocyclic radical containing 4 to 6 carbon atoms, unsubstituted or substituted with one or more alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• and
• R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, which may be identical or different, represent:
• hydrogen or alkyl, aryl, halo, alkoxy, arylalkyl, alkoxyaryl, haloalkyl or haloaryl radicals, or R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 together form a 4- to 7-membered ring;
• wherein the alkylation is carried out in the presence of:
• (i) an alkylating agent, wherein the alkylating agent is an alkyl halide, an alkyl sulphate, or an oxonium;
• and
• (ii) an anionization agent.