9-anilinoacridine alkylating agents

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier:

• wherein,
• each of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, and R13 is, independently, hydrogen, halo, nitro, hydroxyl, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, C1-C6 hydroxyalkyl, CONHRa, NRbRc, CONH(CH2)mNRbRc, L-N(CH2CH2Cl)2, or a DNA minor groove binder;
• L is (CH2)p or O(CH2)q;
• m is 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• p is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• q is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8;
• in which, Ra is C1-C6 alkyl;
• each of Rb and Rc is, independently, hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, CORd, or COORd;
• Rd is C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C10 aryl, or C7-C12 aralkyl;
• provided that at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, and R13 is L-N(CH2CH2Cl)2;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

A method of treating cancer, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of formula (I):

• wherein,
• each of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, and R13 is, independently, hydrogen, halo, nitro, hydroxyl, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, C1-C6 hydroxyalkyl, CONHRa, NRbRc, CONH(CH2)mNRbRc, L-N(CH2CH2Cl)2, or a DNA minor groove binder;
• L is (CH2)p or O(CH2)q;
• m is 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• p is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• q is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8;
• in which, Ra is C1-C6 alkyl;
• each of Rb and Rc is, independently, hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, CORd, or COORd;
• Rd is C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C10 aryl, or C7-C12 aralkyl;
• and provided that at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, and R13 is L-N(CH2CH2Cl)2;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.