PRODUCTION OF PYRIDINE ALCOHOL DERIVATIVE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a pyridine alcohol useful as an intermediate for antiviral agent, etc., under mild condition on an industrial scale in a high yield at a low cost by using a specific pyridine ester derivative as a starting raw material for synthesis. SOLUTION: The objective pyridine alcohol derivative of formula III (R2 is H, an alkyl or the like) is produced by treating (A) a pyridine ester derivative of formula I (X is an alkoxyl, an alkenyloxy or the like; A is a bivalent organic group containing one to three O, N and/or S atoms and forming a 5 to 8-membered ring together with two bonding C atoms) with (B) a reducing agent, an alkylation agent, an alkenylation agent, an arylation agent or an aralkylation agent to obtain (C) a pyridine carbonyl derivative of formula II (R is H, an alkyl or the like) and reacting the product with the component B. The component A can be produced by reacting a corresponding imine derivative with a carbonylation agent and a nitrile. Either reaction can be performed under mild condition.