NOVELTY - Preparing bromo-substituted quinoline compounds (I), comprises reacting a 2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline (III) with a brominating agent and then reacting the resulting 8-bromo-2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline (IV) with a Suzuki coupling reagent comprising R-boronic acid, R-boronate ester, R-potassium trifluoroborate or R-organoborane, by a Suzuki coupling reaction to replace the 2-chloro group with an R group.    USE - The method is useful for preparing bromo-substituted quinoline compounds (claimed), which are useful as intermediates in the preparation of agents for the treatment of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infections.    ADVANTAGE - The methods allows the use of inexpensive starting materials and reagents, and avoids the hazardous lithiation-bromination and Sugasawa steps employed in previous syntheses. The method minimizes the number of reagents and reactions for an overall faster cycle time.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Preparing bromo-substituted quinoline compounds of formula (I), comprises: reacting a 2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline compound of formula (III) with a brominating agent and then reacting the resulting 8-bromo-2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline compound of formula (IV) with a Suzuki coupling reagent comprising R-boronic acid, R-boronate ester, R-potassium trifluoroborate or R-organoborane, by a Suzuki coupling reaction to replace the 2-chloro group with an R group; or reacting a 8-bromo-2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline (IV) with a Suzuki coupling reagent comprising an R-boronic acid, R-boronate ester, R-potassium trifluoroborate or R-organoborane, by a Suzuki coupling reaction to replace the 2-chloro group with an R group.    R = aryl, heteroaryl, alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group, where the aryl and heteroaryl are optionally substituted with one or more groups of halo, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, amido or amino optionally substituted by one or more alkyl and/or amino protecting groups; and    Alk = lower alkyl.    INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) preparing 8-bromo-2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline comprising reacting the 2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline (III) with a brominating agent;    (2) the 8-bromo-2,4-dichloro-7-alkoxy quinoline (IV); and    (3) a dioxaborolane compound of formula (V).