Cyclic compounds

Abstract

There is presented a process for the manufacture of hexahydronaphthacene derivatives of the general formula ##STR1## wherein one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom and the other represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxy group of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together represent a protected oxo group, R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxy or acyloxy group and R.sup.4 represents a lower alkyl or esterified carboxy group or a group of the formula ##STR2## wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 together form an oxo group or a protected oxo group and X represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxy or acyloxy group or ##STR3## in which n stands for 1 or 2 and Y represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or acyl group. Also presented are certain of the novel derivatives per se and various novel intermediates in the process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.