S P E C I F I C A T I O N

METHOD FOR PREPARING 4-DEMETHYLDAUNORUBICIN

Related Applications [0001] This Application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 60/749,464, filed on December 13, 2005, in accordance with 35 U.S. C. Section 119(e), and any other applicable laws. U.S. provisional Application No. 60/749,464 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if set forth fully herein.

Field of the Invention

[0002] The field of the invention generally relates to chemical methods used to produce anthracyclines, a compound which is useful as an anticancer chemotherapeutic drug. More specifically, the field of the invention relates to methods of producing cytostatic anthracyclin antibiotic 4-demethyldaunorubicin (commonly referred to as "carminomycin") in the form of

Formula (1) (wherein An is an anion of any strong acid; for example, in one non-limiting case

of 4'-epirubicin, An ^" comprises Cl ^" ).

Background of the Invention

[0003] Anthracyclines form one of the largest families of naturally occurring bioactive compounds. Several members of this family have shown to be clinically effective antineoplastic agents. These include, for example, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, idarubicin, epirubicin, pirarubicin, zorubicin, aclarubicin, and carminomycin. For instance, these

compounds have shown to be useful in the treatment of breast carcinoma, acute lymphocytic and non-lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and other solid cancerous tumors.

[0004] Carminomycin (in the form of Formula (l))is a well-known anthracyclin antibiotic that is used both in defined clinical applications and as a starting material for synthesis of multiple 4-modified anthracylins, and in particular, idarubicin (see for example, U.S. Patent No. 7,053,191, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). [0005] Microbiological production of carminomycin is complicated by a very low productivity of the known strains of microorganisms, at the level of 0.1 - 0.3 g/L. Up until the present, the synthetic method of preparing carminomycin has been very protracted (involving 10-12 chemical stages) and expensive. In the previously described methods of 4-methoxy group demethylation, the substrate was daunorubicinone because there had been no known methods of 4-methoxy group demethylation without breaking of the C-7 glycoside bond. The most common method of the 4-methoxy group demethylation involves treatment of the daunorubicinone with a strong Lewis acid, AICI3, in inert solvents such as chlorinated hydrocarbons (ex. dichloromethane) at boiling temperature. In an attempt to conduct the same synthesis with daunorubicin, the daunosamine glycoside bond is severed, and the anthracyclin nucleus is destroyed.

Summary of the Invention [0006] The present invention is directed to an innovative method for producing carminomycin using a novel method for the 4-methoxy group demethylation of a widely- available starting substance daunorubicin, that does not result in the destruction of the C-7 glycoside bond, and that decreases the number of synthesis stages from 10-12 to 1-3. [0007] Demethylation is achieved by the treatment of daunorubicin or N-protected daunorubicin (Formula 2 and Formula 3, respectively) with soft Lewis acids, such as TiHaI ₄ ,

BHaI ₃ , MgHaI ₂ , where Hal = F, Cl, Br, I in anhydrous solvents, such as alkanes, cycloalkanes, arenes, halogenoalkanes, simple ethers, CS ₂ , all of which are stable in Lewis acids, at temperatures 10 - 80 ⁰ C.

Formula 2 Formula 3 Carbonate

1.

[0008] Extraction of carminomycin or N-protected carminomycin is achieved by treating the reaction mass with an aqueous solution of strong organic or mineral acids. After decomposition of the carminomycin and Lewis acids reactive complex, the reactive mass (in the case of utilization of water-soluble simple ethers) is extracted with water-insoluble (hydrophobic) organic solvents such as halogenoalkanes, cycloalkanes, arenes, C ₄ -C6 alcohols and mixtures thereof. Carminomycin is then extracted as a base.

Detailed Description of the Invention [0009] The method of preparing a carminomycin compound using daunorubicin as the starting material according to the present invention comprises the following steps. [0010] I. Demethylation of daunorubicin or N-protected daunorubicin

[0011] The demethylation reaction is completed by treating daunorubicin or N-protected daunorubicin (Formula 2 and Formula 3, respectively) with soft Lewis acids, such as TiHaI ₄ , BHaI ₃ , MgHaI ₂ , where Hal = F, Cl, Br, I in anhydrous solvents, such as alkanes, cycloalkanes,

arenes, halogenoalkanes, simple ethers, CS ₂ , all of which are stable in Lewis acids, at temperatures in the range of about 10 - 80 ⁰ C (as shown in Diagram 1).

nate Diagram 1

[0012] With utilization of the N-protected daunorubicin, the reaction is accomplished with lesser amounts of by-products (impurities) and a higher yield.

[0013] The amount of Lewis acid used in the reaction is 1-5 moles per 1 mole of daunorubicin, preferably 1.5-3 moles.

[0014] The reaction temperature depends on the strength of the Lewis acid and must provide for the maximum regioselectivity of the process involving breakage of the 4-OMe bond with preservation of the 7-O-daunosamine bond, preferably 40-60 ⁰ C.

[0015] The solvents suitable for conduction of the reaction are selected based on the same principles as for the temperature selection. Preference is given to halogenoalkanes, simple ethers, and CS2.

[0016] Extraction of carminomycin or N-protected carminomycin is performed by treating the reaction mass with an aqueous solution of strong organic acids, such as oxalic acid, trifluoroacetic acid or such mineral acids as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acids pH 2.5±1. After decomposition of the carminomycin and Lewis acids reactive complex, the reactive mass (in the case of utilization of water-soluble simple ethers) is extracted with water- insoluble

(hydrophobic) organic solvents such as halogenoalkanes, cycloalkanes, arenes, C ₄ -C6 alcohols and mixtures thereof. Carminomycin may then be extracted as a base. [0017] The 3'N-Prot-group, in the case of utilization of N-protected daunorubicin, is removed immediately upon completion of the synthesis or after further modification of the 4-R substituent, depending on the goals of synthesis. [0018] Example

[0019] 6.25 grams of N-trifluoroacetyldaunorubicin is dissolved in 150 ml of tetrahydrofurane, and 2.9 grams of unhydrous magnesium chloride is slowly added under conditions that exclude contact with atmospheric moisture. The resulting mixture is incubated for 1.5 hours at 40 ⁰ C, then poured into ice water, titrated to pH 2.5 with trifluoroacetic acid, and then extracted with 2 x 50 ml aliquots of dichloromethane. The organic layer is separated and dried with anhydrous MgSO ₄ . The solvent is then evaporated at below-atmospheric pressure. The result is about 4.8 grams of N-TFA-carminomycin with purity of about 65-80% (this is confirmed by HPLC).

[0020] The N-TFA-carminomycin, obtained from the above synthesis, is then suspended in 200 ml of distilled water at a temperature of 30 ⁰ C, and 15 ml of 1.0 N NaOH solution is added. The mixture is incubated for 30 minutes and then neutralized to pH 7 with a solution of hydrochloric acid and is then sent to preparative chromatography. After evaporation of eluate, 3.0-3.8 grams of carminomycin is produced with a purity of about 96% (this is confirmed by HPLC).