Nitrobenzyl mustard quaternary salts and their use as hypoxia-selective cytotoxic agents

Abstract

Nitrobenzyl mustard quaternary salts of formula (I), ##STR1## and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, process for their manufacture and their chemotherapeutic use as hypoxia selective cytotoxic agents. Wherein, X represents a linker chain --CR.sub.1 R.sub.2 -- or CR.sub.1 .dbd.CR.sub.2-- (where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are separately H, lower alkyl, phenyl or nitrophenyl; Y is halogen or OSO.sub.2 R; Q is lower alkyl (optionaly substituted with alkyl and/or ether groups and containing up to 6 carbons) or nitrophenyl; Ar represents a mono- or bicyclic aromatic unit, R is lower alkyl optionally substituted with alkyl and/or other groups, and may contain up to eight carbon atoms. Z represents one or more of the groups NO.sub.2, SO.sub.2 R, CONHR, R, OR, SR, CF.sub.3 and aza (ring --CH.dbd.replaced by --N.dbd.); with the proviso that when H-Cl or Br, Q=Me, and X=CH.sub.2 -- then Ar.noteq.2-nitrophenyl or 4-nitrophenyl.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.