Patent ID: 7816518

Claim:
A method of causing cell death by photon activation therapy comprising administering a compound of formula (I) to a subject in need thereof and then treating the subject with X-ray radiation that activates the compound, wherein the photon activation therapy is used to treat cancer, wherein each R 1 is independently selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted C 1-8 alkyl, optionally substituted C 2-8 alkenyl, halide, SO 3 R 4 , or NO 2 , wherein the substituents are selected from one or more of C 1-6 alkyl, R 5 , ═O, OR 5 , CO 2 R 5 , CONR 6 R 6 , and each substituent may further be substituted with one or more of CO 2 R 5 or OR 5 ; wherein each R 2 is independently selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted C 1-8 alkyl, optionally substituted C 2-8 alkenyl, halide, SO 3 R 4 , NO 2 , wherein the substituents are selected from one or more of C 1-6 alkyl, R 5 , ═O, OR 5 , CO 2 R 5 , CONR 6 R 6 , and each substituent may further be substituted with one or more of CO 2 R 5 or OR 5 ; wherein R 1 and R 2 may together form a six membered ring, wherein said ring can be fully saturated, partially saturated or unsaturated and is optionally substituted with one or more of ═O, halide, SO 3 R 4 , NO 2 , C 1-6 alkyl or CO 2 R 5 ; wherein each R 3 is independently hydrogen, halide, C 1-20 alkyl, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 2-20 alkynyl, C 1-6 haloalkyl, C 3-12 aryl or C 3-12 heteroaryl, C 1-20 alkyloxy, C 2-20 alkenyloxy, C 2-20 alkynyloxy, C 3-12 aryloxy, C 3-12 heteroaryloxy; wherein the alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, alkenyloxy, alkynyl, alkynyloxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy group are optionally substituted with one or more of C 1-6 alkyl, aryl, R 5 , OR 5 , NR 6 2 , SO 3 R 4 , NO 2 , halide, CO 2 R 5 or B(OR 6 ) 2 and each substituent may be further substituted with one or more of halide, C 1-6 alkyl; wherein R 2 and R 3 , or R 1 and R 3 may together form a five membered ring, wherein said ring can be fully saturated, partially saturated or unsaturated and is optionally substituted with one or more of ═O, C 1-8 alkyl, or CO 2 R 5 ; wherein R 4 is hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl; R 5 is hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl, C 6-12 aryl, a biocompatible polymer or a counter ion, said alkyl or aryl groups being optionally substituted with NR 6 2 , NO 2 , C 1-4 alkyl or C 6-12 aryl; R 6 is hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl, R 7 is hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl optionally substituted with CO 2 R 5 ; and M is a metal or hydrogen; and wherein one or more occurrence of R 1 , R 2 or R 3 is an electron withdrawing group selected from F, Cl, Br or I.