To a solution of 9.2 g (15.9 mmol) diethyl (1S,2S,3R,4S)-4-{(1R)-1-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethoxy}-3-(4-fluorophenyl)cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (step F) in 100 mL THF under nitrogen atmosphere at RT was added 2 g (112.4 mmol, excess) LiBH4 powder. The resulting mixture was heated at 68° C. for 2 hr then cooled to RT. The reaction mixture was carefully quenched by the addition of 30 mL water, then extracted with EtOAc. The combined organic extracts were dried over drying agent, filtered and the solvent evaporated under vacuum to give 7.5 g of the crude title compound as an oil which was used without further purification. 1H-NMR (CDCl3): δ: 7.70 (1H, s), 7.20 (2H, s), 7.00 (2H, m), 6.87 (2H, t, J=8.2 Hz), 4.20 (1H, q, J=6.0 Hz), 3.78 (1H, m), 3.67 (1H, m), 3.52 (1H, m), 3.30-3.20 (2H, m), 2.58 (1H, t, J=11.9 Hz), 2.32 (1H, m), 1.87 (1H, m), 1.65 (1H, m), 1.58-1.35 (3H, m), 1.30 (3H, t, J=6.0 Hz).
