Patent ID: 7189752

Claim:
A method of reducing the viability of leukemia cells in a mammal sensitive to a 1-(R) compound of formula (II): wherein R 1 is lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, lower cycloalkyl, phenyl or benzyl, R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are the same or different and are each hydrogen or lower alkyl; R 6 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, hydroxy, lower alkoxy, benzyloxy, lower alkanoyloxy, nitro or halo, R 7 is hydrogen, lower alkyl or lower alkenyl; X is oxy; Y is carbonyl or (C 1 –C 3 )alkyl(CO), wherein each alkyl is substituted with 0–2 (C 1 –C 4 ) alkyl, and Z is hydroxy, lower alkoxy, amino, lower alkylamino, di(lower)alkylamino or phenylamino; comprising administering the (R)-compound of formula (II); or a salt thereof to a human cancer patient afflicted with a leukemia so as to achieve a plasma level of the compound in the mammal of about 200 μM to 600 μM.