Preparation of phosphatase inhibitors

A compound of the formula

• and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof,
• wherein
• R1 is selected from hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, amino, monoalkylamino, trifluoromethyl, aminomethyl, cyano, nitro, and —COOR6;
• R2 is selected from hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, lower alkenyl, amino, mono- or dialkylamino, cyano, nitro, trifluromethyl, —CON(R6)2, and —COOR6;
• R3, R4, R5 are independently selected from hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cyano, —CON(R6)2, —COOR6, and
• aryl optionally substituted with one, two or three groups independently selected from halogen, lower alkyl, hydroxy, amino, mono- or dialkylamino, trifluoromethyl, —C(O)R8, —COOR8, —C(O)NHR8, and —OR8;
• A is selected from —S(O)2R7 or —(CH2)nS(O)qR7;
• B is selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, —(CH2)nS((O)qR7, —(CH2)pC(O)R7, —(CH2)pC(O)NHR7, —(CH2)pCO2R7, (CH2)nOR7, and
• aryl, arylalkyl, arylalkenyl and arylalkynyl, where the ring portion of each is optionally substituted with one, two or three groups independently selected from halogen, lower alkyl, hydroxy, amino, mono- or dialkylamino, trifluoromethyl, —C(O)R8, —COOR8, —C(O)NHR8, and —OR8;
• n is 2-4;
• p is 1-2;
• q is 0-2;
• R6 is selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl, and lower alkenyl;
• R7 is selected from lower alkyl, or
• aryl and arylalkyl, where the ring portion of each is optionally substituted with one, two or three groups independently selected from halogen, lower alkyl, hydroxy, amino, mono- or dialkylamino, trifluoromethyl, —C(O)R8, —COOR8, —C(O)NHR8, and —OR8;
• and
• R8 is independently selected from hydrogen, and
• lower alkyl and aryl optionally substituted with one, two or three groups independently selected from lower alkyl, halogen, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, amino, mono- or dialkylamino, and trifluoromethyl.