| abstract |
Anthracycline glycosides of the formula (I) <IMAGE> I wherein one of R1 and R2 is hydrogen and the other of R1 and R2 is hydroxy, each of R3, R4 and R5 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydroxy and X is hydrogen or trifluoroacetyl, with the provisos that R4 and R5 are not simultaneously hydroxy and that if R3 is hydroxy, then X is hydrogen, which are useful in treating certain mammalian tumors are prepared by condensing an aglycone of the formula (II) <IMAGE> II wherein R1 and R2 are defined as above, with a suitable protected halosugar, after which the protecting groups are removed. |