PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF CINACALCET AND SALTS THEREOF, AND INTERMEDIATES FOR USE IN THE PROCESS

There is provided a process for preparing a salt of the (R)- or (S)-isomer of 1-naphthylethylamine with mandelic acid or a derivative thereof, the process comprising reacting racemic 1-naphthylethylamine with mandelic acid or a derivative thereof to obtain the (R)- or (S)-isomer of 1-naphthylethylamine salt (III) with the acid. The salts also form an aspect of the present invention. There is also provided a salt of the (R)- or (S)-isomer of 1-naphthylethylamine with mandelic acid or a derivative thereof. There is also provided a process for preparing cinacalcet (I) or a salt thereof, the process comprising reacting an ester (II) with (R)-1-naphthylethylamine or a salt of (R)-1-naphthylethylamine and mandelic acid or a derivative thereof, to obtain cinacalcet, and optionally converting the cincalcet to a salt thereof.