Patent ID: 6906199

Claim:
A process for preparing a distamycin derivative of formula wherein R is a bromine or chlorine atom; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; which process comprises: a) reacting, under basic conditions, 2-amino-ethylguanidine with a compound of formula wherein X is hydroxy or a suitable leaving group, so as to obtain a compound of formula b) reducing the nitro-derivative of formula (III) to the corresponding amino-derivative and, subsequently, reacting the resultant amino-derivative with the above compound of formula (II), under basic conditions, so as to obtain a compound of formula c) reducing the nitro-derivative of formula (IV) to the corresponding amino-derivative and, subsequently, reacting in the presence of a suitable condensing agent and under basic conditions the resultant amino-derivative with a compound of formula wherein R is a bromine or chlorine atom; so as to obtain the compound of formula (I) and, optionally, converting it into a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.