THEIR PREPARATION AND PHARMACEUTICAL

COMPOSITION CONTAINING SAME

The invention relates to bis-hydroxybenzyl derivatives , to processes for their prepar.ation and to pharmaceutical compositions containing same .

Köre particυlarly the invention relates to compounds of the formula ' s :

and salts thereof, in which R, and R-, may be the same or different groups selected frorn hydroxy, an etherified hydroxy and an esterified hydroxy group.

The compounds of formula's I and IA possess anti-inflammatory and lipid lowering activities and are potent immuno-rtodulators ith low toxicity. They enhance cell mediated immunity, stimulate the action of phagocytic cells an inhibit complement. They can generate a strong cell illing activity against foreiσn cells, such as cancercells. They are also usefui for the control of pregnancy, as they can modify tolerance of foetal tissue.

The compounds according to the invention may be prepared by methods in actual use or described in the literature.

For example, the compounds of formula I may be prepared in two steps from

in which R. ' is an etherified or esterified hydroxy group by reacting with a lithium compound such as lithium di-isopropylamide, followed by reacting the lithium derivative thus obtained with the compound

in which R~ * is an etherified or esterified hydroxyl group and Hai represents halogen, preferably chlorine or bromine.

The free hydroxy compound of formula I (R-, and R_ are hydroxy; can be obtained by removing the hydroxy protecting group (the ether or ester moiety) in the usual manner.

For example, an alkyloxy group such as ethoxy can be converted into the hydroxy group by the action of e.g. borontribro ide, and a trimethylsilyloxy, a tetrahydropyranyloxy or an acyloxy group can be converted into the hydroxy group under (weakly) acidic conditions.

The preparation • >f the required srarting aterial of formula II may be prepared as disclosed in the attached flow sheet.

Flow sheet

LiAlH4 1 eq. tosylchloride

Compound II can also be used as starting produci for a reaction with a substituted benzaldehyde under strong alkaline conditions, such as sodiummethoxide, sodiumamide ör potassiumtert.butylate in an inert solvent, such as benzene or ether. The resulting compound of the general formula IV:

15 in which R, ' and R ' have the aforesaid eanings, can be converted into the final product I by reduction of the double bond in a well-known manner, preferably by catalytic hydrogenation, e.g. with palladium on

20 carbon as catalyst.

Another convenient synthesis for the preparation of the compounds I consists of a reduction of an oxo group of a compound of the formula V:

in which R. and R_ have the aforesaid meanings,

5

This reduction can be carried out by conventional means, for example with aluminum-amalgam or sodium borohydride in a suitable solvent such as dimethyl- formamide.

The compound V can be prepared according to the follcwing reaction-scheme:

reduction (NaHg)

In aqueous (weakly) alkaline conditions the compounds of formula I are mainly present in "open" form, namely as compounds of the formula:

in which R, and R-, have the meanings assigned above. These compounds of formula IA as well as salts thereof are also considered part of the present invention.

Obviously the compounds of formula IA can be obtained directly by using one of the aforesaid reaction methods but using aqueous alkaline conditions with respect to the isolation of the endproduct.

The salts according to this invention are usually the alkaline metal salts (pref. Na) or ammonium salts. An etherified hydroxy group is usually a hydrocarbon-oxy radical with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as rnethoxy, ethoxy, allyloxy, propyloxy, iscpropyloxy, butoxy• etc. , but also other ethermoieties. are possible such as a trimethylsilyloxy and tetrahycrαpyranyl-2-oxy group. A.n esterified hydroxy group is usually an acyloxy group, in which the acyl group is derived from an aliphatic carboxylic acid with 1-6 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid.

OMPI

The compounds I and IA can occur in two diastereo-isomeric for s (cis/trans and threo/ erythro respectively) . Both diastereo-isomers as well as the mixture thereof are compounds according to this invention. The aforesaid processes II 1 and V * ^■ I usually result in a mixture of the eis and trans isomer, whereby the trans isomer is the ajor product; the process IV p-1 results in the eis isomer as the major product. If necessary the mixture of diastereo-isomers can be separated in the usual manner by e.g. crystallisation, column chromatography, preparative thin layer chromatography, counter current distribution, etc.

Moreover each eis and trans compound is a racemic mixture. The separate optical enantiomers also belong to the compounds of the invention. They may be isolated from the racemate in the usual manner, e.g. using an optically active base, or may be prepared starting from an optically active starting product.

The compounds according to the invention can be processed to customary liquid or solid pharmaceutical preparations, for example to sugar-coated pills, tablets, suppositories and solutions, also for injeetions. The customary excipients and diluents are used for this purpose.

The oral Single dose ranges from 0,01-100 mg/kg body weight, the oral daily dose ranges frerr. 0,03 to 300 mg/kg bodyweight. The parenteral sincle dose ranges from 1 f to 10 mg/kg body weicht^ the daily dose is about the threefold quantity of this sincle dose. / ^• s anti-inflammatory cr g, the compound of the invention may also be incorporated in an ointment, gel or paste for local application. Preferably the drug is present in the oir.tr.ent, gel or paste in an a ount of 0,01 up to 2 , 5 % of the total composition.

Compounds which are recommended are compounds of formula I, in which R, and R ₂ both represent hydroxy groups, substituted at the benzyl oieties in meta position. More particularly the trans 5 isomer of the formula:

is preferred .

Example 1 15 trans-dihydro-3 , 4-bisf ( 3-methoxyphenyl ) methyl ] 2 ( 3H ⁾ furano

A solution of lithium di-isopropylamide was prepared by stirring a mixture of 1,01 g (10 mmol ⁾ di-isopropylamine, 6,3 ml 1.6 M n-butyllithium in hexane and 10 ml dry tetrahydrofuran (THF) for

20 10 minutes under nitrogen atmosphere at 0 C. T e resulting solution was cooled down to -70 C, after which 1,85 g (9 mmol) dihydro-4-[ (3-methoxy- phenyl)methyl]2(3H)furanone dissolved in 5 ml dry THF were added dropwise. The resulting mixture

25 was stirred for 20 minutes at -70 C after which a mixture of 2,01 g (10 rr-ol) 3-methoxybenzylbrcmide and 2,0 g (11 mmol) hexa erhylphosphoric acid triamide was added dropwise.

The resulting mixture was stirred for 2 hours at sc- -40 °C.

This reaction mixture is added to a solution of ammoniu chloride and subsequently extracted into ehtylacetate. The extracts were washed with water and ^' dried on sodium sulphate; then the solvent ss is evaporated. The residue was chromatographed over

silica gel using the solvent System hexane/ethyl acetate (8:2) .

Rf = 0,46 in hexane/ethylacetate (6:4) on Si0 ₂ . Yield: 1,97 g (67%) .

Example 2 trans-dihydro-3 , 4-bisr3-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl]2( 3H)furanone

To a solution of 1,63 g (5 mmol) dihydro- 3 ,4-bis[ (3-methoxyphenyl)mehtyl]2( 3H) furanone in 10 ml dichloromethane was added dropwise 1,5 ml (16 mmol) borontribromide under nitrogen atmosphere at -78 C. The resulting solution was slowly warmed to 0 C while stirring. Water was added dropwise to the reaction mixture, after which the mixture was carefully extracted with ethylacetate. The extracts were washed with NaCl-solution, dried and evaporated.

The residue was crystallised from Chloroform yielding 1,29 g of product; mp. 141 - 143 °C NMR (CDCl.,, 200 MHz)

2.55 (m, 4)

2.96 (m, 2)

3.90 (dd, 1, J = 7 and 9, ^• V

4.13 (dd, 1, J = 7 and 9, V» 6.5 - 6.8 (m, 4, aromatic protons) 7.17 (t, 1, J = 9) and 7.20 (t, 1, J = 9 aromatic protons)

Example 3 trans-(-)-dihydro-3 , 4-bisT 3-methoxyphenyl ⁾ methyl]- 2(3H)-furanone

To a solution of 4,12 g (20 mmol) of (+_)-dihydro- 4-[ (3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-2(3H)-furanone in 20 ml of methanol was added 40 ml of 4% aqueous KOH. The mixture was heated at 50 °C for 30 minutes, resulting in a clear solution, which was cooled to 0 - 5 C. The reaction mixture was acidified with 2 N HC1 at <5 C and extracted with icecold ether ( 2x 50 ml). The extracts were dried briefly over anhydrous NapSO^ and filtered. To the filtrate was added 2,7 g (20 mmol ⁾ of d-amphetamine and the precipitated salt was collected by filtration; yield 6,5 g, mp. 95 - 105 C. This product was recrystallized four times from ethyl acetate to give 1,7 g of material with mp. 123 — 125 C. This was treated with 40 ml IN aqueous HC1 at 50 °C. The cooled reactions mixture was extracted with ether (2x 50 ml) and the extracts were dried over anhydrous a ₂ S0 _Δ and evaporated to give 0,94 g of (+)-dihydro- 4-[ (3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-2(3H)-furanone, [α]p° = +6,35 ° (C_l, CHC1 ₃ ).

This material was converted in the same manner as described in example 1 to give the desired product, yield 1,31 g (88%), [α]^ ⁰ = -40,6 (Cl, CHC1__).

Example 4 trans-(- ⁾ -dihydro-3,4-bisf (3-hydroxypheny1) ethyl1- 2(3H)-fur none The product of example 3 was treated in the same manner as described in example 2 to give the desired product in 69% yield, mp. 125-130 °C, [α]p° = -38,4 ° (C 0,5, CHC1-,).

Example 5

cis-dihydro-3 , 4-bis[ (3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]- 2 (3H)-furanone. 5 A mixture of 2,06 g (10 mmol) of dihydro-4- [ (3-methoxy-phenyl) ethyl]-2 (3H)-furanone , 1.36 g (10 mmol) of 3-methoxy benzaldehyde, 0.54 g (10 mmol) of sodium methoxide and 20 ml of benzene was stirred for 24h at roo temperature.

10 The reactionmixture was washed with water, dried over anhydrous Na-SO. and concentrated. The residue was chromatographed over silica gel with 7:3 hexane / ethylacetate to give 1.19 g (37%) of (E)-dihydro-4-[ (3-methoxyphenyl)methyl) ]-3-

15 [ (3-methoxyphenyl)methylene] 2 (3H)-furanone. This product was dissolved in 200 ml of ethylacetate ixed with o.69 g of 5% paladium on carbon catalyst and hydrogenated at atmospheric pressure for 2 hours. Filtration and evaporation of the solvent gave the

20 desired product in quantitative yield.

Rf= o.48 in hexane/ethylacetate 6:4 on Si0_

Example 6

25 cis-dihydro-3 , 4-bis[ (3-h roxph nyl)methyl]-2 (3H)-furanone The product of example 5 was treated in the same manner as described in example 2 to give the desired product in 70% yield, m.p. 157-158 °C.

- _Q Example 7 trans-3 , 4-bis[ (3-acetoxyphenyl) ethyl]dihydro-2 (3H)-furanone

The product of example 2 (1,49 g, 5 mmol) was mixed with 7,5 ml of pyridine, 7,5 ml of acetic anhycride and 45 ml of dry dichloromethane. 35

The mixture was kep ^' at room temperature for 2 hours and then diluted with water.. he organic layer was separated, washed several times with water and aqueous sodium bicarbonate and dried over anhydrous K CO, . The solvent was evaporated and the residue was chroma¬ tographed over Silica gel with hexane/ethyl acetate ⁽ 1:1 ⁾ In this manner 1,76 g (92% yield) of product was obtained as a colourless oil. Rf = 0.30 in hexane/ethyl acetate 6 : 4 on SiO .

Example 8

In a similar manner were obtained: trans-(-)-dihydro—3 , 4-bis[ (3-acetoxyphenyl)methyl] 2(3H)-furanone cis-dihydro-3 , 4-bisf (3-acetoxyphenyl)methyl] 2(3H)-furanone

Example 9 trans-dihydro-3 , 4-bisf (3-hydroxyphenyl)methyll- 2(3H ⁾ -furanone monohemisuccinate

The product of example 2 (0,90, 3 mmol) was mixed with 0,4 g (4 mmol) of succinic anhydride and 3 ml of pyridine. The mixture was stirred for 24 hours at room temperature, diluted with water and extracted with ethyl acetate. The extracts were washed with aqueou HC1, dried over anhydrous Na-,SO and concentrated in vacuo. The residu was chromatographed over silica gel (30 g) with hexane/acetone 1:1. First 0,27 g (30%) of starting material was eluted, followed by 0,6 g (50%) of product (viscous oil). Rf = 0,36 in hexane/acetone/acetic acid (1:1:0,015) on Si

ExamDle 10

/

sodium salt of 3—hydroxymethyl-4-(3-methoxyphenyl)- 2-(3-methoxyphenylmethyl) butyric acid. (formula IA) 0,3 g of the compound obtained in example 1 was mixed with 2 ml of 1 N aqueous sodiu hydroxide. The mixture was heated at 50 C for 30 minutes and then concentrated in vacuo, resulting in 0,35 g of arnorphous solid.