NOVELTY - Obtaining (S)-mitiglinide or its salt or hydrate, comprises reacting (S)-3-benzyldihydrofuran-2,5-dione (IV) with (3aR,7aS)-octahydro-1H-isoindole hydrochloride (V) in an organic solvent to give (S)-2-benzyl-4-((3aR,7aS)-hexahydro-1H-isoindol-2(3H)-yl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (II) and (3S)-3-benzyl-4-(hexahydro-1H-isoindol-2(3H)-yl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (III), removing the organic solvent from the mixture of (II) and (III), adding ethyl acetate, reserving the mother liquors containing (S)-mitiglinide, collecting the solid of mother liquors, and removing the remaining ethyl acetate.    USE - The process is useful for obtaining (S)-mitiglinide (claimed), which is used as a hypoglycemic agent for treating type 2 diabetes. No biological data given.    ADVANTAGE - The simple and safe process provides (S)-mitiglinide with high yield and purity in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Obtaining (S)-mitiglinide or its salt or hydrate, comprises either reacting (S)-3-benzyldihydrofuran-2,5-dione (IV) with (3aR,7aS)-octahydro-1H-isoindole hydrochloride (V) in an organic solvent to give (S)-2-benzyl-4-((3aR,7aS)-hexahydro-1H-isoindol-2(3H)-yl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (II) and (3S)-3-benzyl-4-(hexahydro-1H-isoindol-2(3H)-yl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (III) as a byproduct, removing the organic solvent from the mixture of (II) and (III), adding ethyl acetate so that (III) is isolated as a solid and reserving the obtained mother liquors containing (S)-mitiglinide, collecting the solid of mother liquors and carrying out at least one cycle process comprising (a) mixing the obtained solid of (III) in the organic solvent and refluxing the obtained mixture to give (S)-mitiglinide of (II) and (III), (b) removing the organic solvent and adding ethyl acetate, and (c) separating the mother liquors from the solid, and optionally repeating the steps (a)-(c) as many times, removing the remaining ethyl acetate from the mother liquors to obtain (S)-mitiglinide, optionally, treating (S)-mitiglinide to obtain a salt or a hydrate, and optionally, purifying the obtained solid; or (a1) mixing the solid of (III) in the organic solvent and refluxing the obtained mixture to give (S)-mitiglinide of (II) and (III), (b1) removing the organic solvent and adding ethyl acetate, so that the (III) is isolated as a solid, and (c1) separating the mother liquors from the solid, and optionally repeating the steps (a1)-(c1) as many times, where the mother liquors contain (S)-mitiglinide of (II), and the solid contains the (III) which may be reused in a new cycle as a reactive compound.