NOVELTY - Preparing agomelatine (I), comprises (a) reacting 7-hydroxy-1-tetralone (II) with cyanoacetic acid (X), (b) reducing obtained (7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-1-naphthalenyl)acetonitrile (III) with a reducing agent, (c) subjecting obtained 2-(7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-1-naphthalenyl)ethanamine (IV) to aromatization by reacting with a reagent, (d) acetylating obtained 2-(7-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)ethanamine (V) with a acetylating agent, and (e) reacting obtained N-(2-(7-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)ethyl)acetamide (VI) with a methylating agent.    USE - The method is useful for preparing (I) (claimed), which is useful to treat major depressive episodes in adults. No biological data given.    ADVANTAGE - (I) has higher melting points compared to the methoxy intermediates, and can be simply, economically, rapidly and safely prepared with high yield and purity, dual pharmacological effects and reduced chemical waste and without using highly flammable, corrosive and hazardous reagents such as e.g. thionyl chloride, pyridine and triflic anhydride under non-hazardous conditions in an eco-friendly manner.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Preparing agomelatine of formula (I) or its salt, comprises: either (a) reacting 7-hydroxy-1-tetralone of formula (II) with cyanoacetic acid (X) or its salt to produce (7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-1-naphthalenyl)acetonitrile of formula (III) or its salt, (b) reducing (III) with a reducing agent to produce 2-(7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-1-naphthalenyl)ethanamine of formula (IV) or its acid addition salt, (c) subjecting (IV) to aromatization by reacting with a reagent to produce 2-(7-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)ethanamine of formula (V) or its acid addition salt, (d) acetylating (V) with a acetylating agent to produce N-(2-(7-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)ethyl)acetamide of formula (VI) or its salt, and (e) reacting (VI) with a methylating agent; or the step (e) as above per se; or the steps (a) and (b) as above per se, (c1) acetylating (IV) with a acetylating agent to produce N-(2-(7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-1-naphthalenyl)ethyl)acetamide of formula (VIII) or it salt, (d) subjecting (VIII) to aromatization by reacting with a reagent to produce (VI), and the step (e) as above per se; or the step (a) as above per se, (b1) subjecting (III) to aromatization by reacting with a reagent to produce (7-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)acetonitrile of formula (VII) or its salt, (c2) reducing (VII) with a reducing agent to produce (V), and the steps (d) and (e) as above per ser; or the steps (a) and (b1) as above per se, (c3) reacting (VII) with a methylating agent to produce (7-methoxy-1-naphthyl)acetonitrile of formula (IX) or its salt, (d1) reducing (IX) with a reducing agent to produce 2-(7-methoxy-1-naphthyl)ethanamine of formula (XI) or its acid addition salt, and (e1) acetylating (XI) with a acetylating agent. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) the preparation of (III), comprising the step (a) as above per se;    (2) the preparation of (IV), comprising the step (b) as above per se;    (3) the preparation of (VI), comprising either the step (d) as above per se, or the step (d1) as above per se;    (4) the preparation of (VII), comprising the step (b1) as above per se;    (5) the preparation of (VIII), comprising the step (c1) as above per se;    (6) the preparation of (IX), comprising the step (c3) as above per se;    (7) the compound (III);    (8) the compound (IV);    (9) 2-(7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-1-naphthalenyl)ethanamine hydrochloride salt of formula (IVa);    (10) 2-(7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-1-naphthalenyl)ethanamine hydrobromide salt (IVb);    (11) the compound (V), where the acid addition salt does not include hydrobromide salt;    (12) 2-(7-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)ethanamine hydrochloride salt of formula (Va);    (13) the compound (VII);    (14) the compound (VIII);    (15) 2-(7-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthyl)ethanamine (XII) or its acid addition salt;    (16) 2-(7-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthyl)ethanamine hydrochloride salt of formula (XIIa);    (17) N-(2-(7-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthyl)ethyl)acetamide of formula (XIII) or its salt;    (18) the preparation of (V), comprising either the step (c) as above per se, the step (c2) as above per se, or reacting (IV) with aqueous hydrobromic acid to produce a reaction mass containing (V) and (XII) and their acid addition salts, isolating and/or recovering pure (V) from the reaction mass, treating the mother liquors with a base to adjust the pH to produce cause precipitation, optionally, extracting (XII) into an organic solvent, isolating and/or recovering pure (XII) from the reaction mass or from organic layer, and subjecting (XII) to aromatization by reacting with a reagent; and    (19) preparation of (XIII), comprising acetylating (XII) with a acetylating agent.