US 7,547,785 B2
Process for preparing topotecan
Venkata Raghavendra Acharyulu Palle, Hyderabad (India); Sekhar Munaswamy Nariyam, Hyderabad (India); and Lankeshwara Rao Matti, Hyderabad (India)
Assigned to Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited, Hyderabad (India); and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Inc., Bridgewater, N.J. (US)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/612,558.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/747881, filed on May 22, 2006.
Claims priority of application No. 1919/CHE/2005 (IN), filed on Dec. 26, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2007/0149783 A1, Jun. 28, 2007
Int. Cl. C07D 491/22 (2006.01); C07D 491/147 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 546—48  [546/47] 28 Claims
 
1. A process for preparing topotecan or a salt thereof, comprising the steps of:
hydrogenating camptothecin in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst and thioanisole to form 10-hydroxycamptothecin; and
reacting 10-hydroxy camptothecin with dimethylamine and about 1 to about 3 equivalents of formaldehyde, per equivalent of 10-hydroxy camptothecin, in the presence of acetic acid to form topotecan acetate.