TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The hydrogenation in step (c1) is carried out at 25-30 degrees C using a catalyst comprising platinum oxide, palladium on carbon (preferred), or platinum on carbon. In step (d1): the non-sterile meropenem trihydrate is dissolved in methanol, water and methanolic ammonia solution to convert to sterile meropenem trihydrate; and for conversion of non-sterile meropenem to sterile meropenem trihydrate, the pH is adjusted to 7-8.5 by using carbon dioxide and further adjusted to 5.5-6 by an acid comprising formic acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or acetic acid; and the non-sterile meropenem trihydrate is washed with acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, methylethylketone, methyl isobutyl ketone or methyl tert-butyl ketone. Preferred Components: The alcoholic base in step (a) is a methanolic or ethanolic solution of base comprising ammonia, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, diethylamine, diisopropylamine, triethylamine, diisopropylethylamine, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium acetate, sodium-2-ethyl hexanoate or sodium lactate. The solvent in step (a) is acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, 1-propanol, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and/or acetonitrile. The pH in step (c) is adjusted by an acid comprising formic acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or acetic acid. The solvent for optional washing in step (d) is acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, methylethylketone, methyl isobutyl ketone or methyl tert-butyl ketone. The solvent in step (a1) is THF, dichloromethane, acetone, dimethylformamide (preferred) or acetonitrile, and the base is diisopropylamine, dicyclohexylamine, 4-dimethylaminopyridine, N-ethyldiisopropylamine (preferred), triethylamine, tetramethylguanidine or tributylamine. The solvent in step (c1) is acetone, N,N-dimethylformamide, THF (preferred), ethanol, methanol or acetonitrile, and the buffer is dipotassium hydrogen orthophosphate, potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate or 3-morpholinopropane-1-sulfonic acid (preferred). ACTIVITY - Antibacterial; Antiinflammatory; Respiratory-Gen; Uropathic; Gynecological; Dermatological; Neuroprotective; Immunosuppressive; Immunostimulant.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - None given.    EXAMPLE - Non-sterile meropenem was charged into methanol (20 ml) and purified water (70 ml) at 0-5 degrees C. Methanolic ammonia solution (12%) was added into it and pH was adjusted to 9-9.5 at -5 degrees C to -10 degrees C and stirred. Carbon dioxide gas was purged to reduce the pH to 7-8.5. The reaction mass was treated with carbon and EDTA at -5 degrees C to -10 degrees C and filtered. The pH of the filtrate was adjusted to 5.5-6 using 10-12% formic acid (9 ml) at -5 degrees C to -10 degrees C. The filtrate was further stirred for 2 hours at -5 degrees C to -10 degrees C. The solid was filtered and washed with acetone and dried to obtain sterile meropenem trihydrate (yield 8.7-9 g).