METHOD OF PRODUCING DERIVATIVES OF DISTAMYCIN A OR HYDROCHLORIDES THEREOF

Distamycin A analogs of the following formula (I): wherein n is 2, 3 or 4; A is a divalent radical chosen from and -Het-, wherein Het is a pentatomic or hexatomic heteromonocyclic ring, except pyrrole, the said radical being unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents chosen from C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, cyano and trifluoromethyl; and either one of R1 and R2 is hydrogen and the other is a) a group in which R3 is C1-C6 alkyl unsubstituted or substituted by halogen atoms; phenyl; or cyclohexyl; or b) a group -CO-(CH2)m-R4 in which m is zero, 1, 2 or 3 and R4 is hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, aziridinyl or oxiranyl; or R1 and R2 are the same and they are both hydrogen or both a C1-C6 alkyl group unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, hydroxy or C1-C6 alkoxy; and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; are antitumor and antiviral agents.