Patent ID: 6844455

Claim:
A process for the preparation of 4-demethoxydaunomycinone, which comprises: a) reacting 4-hydroxydaunomycinone of formula (II) in the presence of N,N-diisopropylethylamine and 4-dimethylaminopyridine, with compounds of formula (III) RSO 2 X (III) wherein: X is selected from halogen, OSO 2 R, imidazolyl, NH(C 6 H 5 )(RSO 2 ), R is a trifluoromethyl group; b) reducing the resulting 4-demethyl-daunomycinone sulfonate of formula (IV) in the presence of catalytic amounts of compounds of formula (V) ML n L′ m (V) wherein: M is a transition metal atom, L and L′ can be the same or different and are an anion or a neutral molecule, and m and n can range from 0 to 4.