Method of producing 4-demethoxydaunorubicin

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for the synthesis of 4-demethoxydaunorubicin (idarubicin) having the chemical structure of formula (I), which involves the demethylation of 3'-Prot-daunorubicin in the presence of a soft Lewis acid. The method of the present invention does not comprise cleavage of the glycosidic linkage at carbon C7, thus resulting in a faster synthesis cycle and an improved yield of the final product.