To a solution of 16 g (42 mmol) of 4-[5-cyclopropyl-3-(2,6-dichloro-phenyl)-isoxazol-4-ylmethoxy]-azepane in 40 mL of dimethyl sulfoxide, is added ethyl 4-iodobenzoate (21 g, 67 mmol), proline (2 g, 16.7 mmol) and copper(I) iodide (3.2 g, 16.7 mmol.). The resulting mixture is degassed with nitrogen followed by addition of potassium carbonate (11.6 g, 84 mmol). The reaction mixture is stirred at 100° C. for 14 hours. The mixture is cooled to room temperature and quenched with water. The mixture is extracted with EtOAc, the organics are dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated to afford a crude which is purified on silica gel column chromatography (Eluting with Hexanes/EtOAc 8:2), to obtained 17 g of the title racemic compound.
