Thiolysable prodrugs of 1,2-bis(methylsulfonyl)-1-(2-chloroethyl)hydrazine with antineoplastic activity

Several 2-alkoxycarbonyl- and 2-aryloxycarbony-1,2-bis(methylsulfonyl)-1-(2-chloroethyl)hydrazines, conceived as thiolysable prodrugs of 1,2-bis(methylsulfonyl)-1-(2-chloroethyl)hydrazine, were synthesized and their antineoplastic activity evaluated against the L1210 leukemia in mice. In addition to producing ‘cures’ of mice bearing this tumor, many of the analogues were preferentially activated by glutathione (GSH) and/or glutathione S-transferase (GST), making them potentially useful in the treatment of multidrug resistant tumors with increased intracellular levels of GSH and/or GST.