Diazine-ethyenylphenyl oxamic acids and esters and salts thereof

#This invention relates to novel diazine-ethenylphenyl oxamic acids and esters and salts thereof, to methods of preparing these compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions containing them as active ingredients, and to methods of using them for the treatment of immunological, inflammatory and allergic disorders.

#Cromoglycate, normally administered as the sodium salt, is a potent and useful antiallergic, commonly prescribed for the treatment of bronchial asthma. Cromoglycate has for many years been accepted as an effective bronchodilator when given by inhalation as a solid. However, it is known to have certain disadvantages; for instance, it is not active when given orally, which warrants a search for new orally active antiallergics.

#A number of oxamate derivatives have been disclosed in the patent and scientific literature. Illustrative of such prior art are the following:

#Ethyl oxalyl chloride (1.2 g) is added dropwise to a suspension of 4-[2-(p-aminophenyl)ethenyl]-pyrimidine (1.3 g) in methylene chloride (30 ml) containing pyridine (1.6 ml), and the mixture is stirred overnight at room temperature. Thereafter, the reaction mixture is washed first with an aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution, then with water and then with a saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution, dried over magnesium sulfate and finally evaporated to dryness. The residue is recrystallized from chloroform and petroleum ether, and gives ethyl 2-(4-pyrimidinyl)ethenylphenyl-4 oxamate (1.3 g), which has a melting point of 171.degree.-173.degree. C.

#The starting compound is prepared as follows. p-Nitrobenzaldehyde (24.2 g), 4-methyl-pyrimidine (15.5 g) and acetic anhydride (16.7 g) are mixed at room temperature, and the mixture is heated at 120.degree. C. for 5 hours. After cooling, the mixture is poured into water (500 ml), and the aqueous mixture is extracted several times with chloroform. The combined chloroform extracts are dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated until crystals separated. Addition of ether gives 4-[2-(p-nitrophenyl)ethenyl]pyrimidine (28 g), m.p. 213.degree.-215.degree. C.

#Hydrochloric acid (100 ml of 4N) is added dropwise to a mixture of 4-[2-(p-nitrophenyl)ethenyl]pyrimidine (28 g), ethanol (250 ml) and iron filings (28 g). The reaction temperature is increased to 65.degree. C., and the mixture is stirred at that temperature for two hours. Water is added, followed by an aqueous 30% potassium hydroxide solution (200 ml), and chloroform (1 liter). The mixture is filtered through celite, and the chloroform layer is separated, dried over sodium sulfate and then concentrated. Addition of ether gives 4-[2-(p-aminophenyl)ethenyl]pyrimidine (10.3 g), m.p. 227.degree.-230.degree. C., which is used as the starting compound without further purification.