PROCESS FOR PREPARING 3'-DEAMINO ANALOGS OF GLYCOSIDE ANTHRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTICS AND OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING THE SAME

摘要

Antitumor anthracycline glycosides of the formula: IMG wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl and R2 is the .alpha.-L-pyranosyl-hexose II or III IMG II III are prepared from 3',4'-diepi-analogs of daunorubicin and doxorubicin by deamination in a cold acidic medium, such as 1N aqueous acetic and at 0.degree.C with NaNO2. In this series of new anthracyclines showing antileukemic activity against murine leukemias, the doxorubicin analogs, when parenterally administered display an activity comparable or superior to that of doxorubicin and they are also active orally against Gross murine leukemia.