9-Azolyl-(1)-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivatives and their production
United States Patent [1 1 Timmler et al.  
 [ 9-AZOLYL-( 1 )-FLUORENE-9-CARBOXYLIC ACID DERIVATIVES AND THEIR PRODUCTION [75] Inventors: Helmut Timmler; Karl-Heinz Biichel; Manfred Plempel, all of Wuppertal-Eberfeld. Germany [73] Assignee: Bayer Aktiengesellschaft,  
 Leverkusen, Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 20, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 398,939  
  Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Scr. No. 259.276, June 2, I972, which is Primary E.\&#39;uminw&#39;-Jerome D. Goldberg [57] ABSTRACT 9-az0lyl-( 1)-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivatives of Apr. 22, 1975 the formula:  
 R R (I) COX A or a pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic salt thereof. wherein R and R are the same or different and are hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or halogen. A is an azolyl moiety having two or three nitro heteroatoms and X is hydroxyl, alkoxy, aminoalkoxy or a moiety of the formula:  
 wherein R is hydrogen or alkyl and R is hydrogen. alkyl or unsubstituted or substituted phenyl. are useful for their antimycotic activity in the treatment of mycoses in humans and animals. Processes for the production of said compounds are described.  
 22 Claims, No Drawings 9-AZOLYL-(l)-FLUORENE-9-CARBOXYLIC ACID DERIVATIVES AND THEIR PRODUCTION This is a divisional of our copending application Ser. No. 259,276 filed June 2, 1972 which in turn is a division of Ser. No. 111,628 filed Feb. 1, 1971, now abandoned.  
  The present invention is concerned with 9-azolyl-( 1 fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivatives, with a process for their production, with pharmaceutical compositions useful for the treatment of mycoses in humans and animals, wherein the active ingredient comprises one or more of said derivatives and with methods of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals and which comprises administering 9-azolyl-(l)-fluorene-9- carboxylic acid derivatives to a human or animal in need thereof.  
  Fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivatives are known to be useful in controlling the growth of higher plants (see French Pat. Nos. 1,455,554 and 1,475,530; DDR Pat. No. 34,214 and Austrian Pat. No. 241,498).  
  More particularly, the present invention is concerned with 9-azolyl-( l )-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivatives of the formula:  
 wherein R is hydrogen or alkyl, and  
 R is hydrogen, alkyl or unsubstituted or substituted phenyl.  
  These compounds are particularly useful for the treatment of mycotic infections in humans and animals. The compounds of the present invention can be produced by reacting a 9-halo-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivative of the formula:  
  COX Hal wherein R, R and X are as above defined, and  
  Hal is halo, with an azole having two or three nitro heteroatoms, preferably in the presence of an acid binding agent. Among the preferred azoles according to the present invention are imidazole, 1,2,4-triazole, 1,2,3-tiazole and pyrazole.  
  When, for example, 9-chloro-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid methyl ester and imidazole are used as starting materials, the course of the reaction can be illustrated by the following equation:  
 I l l N HCl The 9-halo-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivatives used as starting materials can be prepared by conventional methods, for example, from 9-hydroxy-fluorenecarboxylic acids by conversion into 9-halo-fluorene-9- carboxylic acidhalides by means of phosphorus halides and subsequent reaction with alcohols or amines (cf. German Auslegeschrift No. 1,301,173).  
  The reaction of the 9-halo-fluorene-9-carboxy1ic acid derivatives with azoles can be carried out with or without the presence of diluents. As diluents, polar organic solvents are mainly used, for example acetonitrile, nitromethane, dimethyl formamide and hexamethyl phosphoric acid triamide.  
  An excess of the azole can be used as acid-binding agent. Alternatively, a conventional acid-binding agent may be used. These include the alkaline earth metal and alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal alcoholates (such as sodium methylate and sodium ethylate), alkali metal carbonates (especially potassium carbonate), and organic bases (such as triethylamine and quinoline).  
  The reaction temperatures may be varied within a fairly wide range. In general, the reaction is carried out at 0 to 200C, preferably 20 to C.  
  For every mol of 9-halo-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid compound there is used about 1 to 2 mols of the azole and, in the absence of another acid binder, about 2 to 4 mols of azole base.  
  The reaction products may be isolated from the reaction mixture by usual methods. The products of the process are solid crystalline compounds.  
  It has been found that a particularly valuable group of compounds according to the present invention are those wherein R and R are hydrogen, lower alkyl of one to three carbon atoms, and especially one or two carbon atoms, lower alkoxy of one or two carbon atoms and wherein the halo is fluoro, chloro or bromo, and especially chloro, A is imidazolyl, l-(l,2,3-triazolyl), 1-(1,2,4-triazo1y1) or l-pyrazolyl, and especially 1- imidazolyl or l-(1,2,4-triazolyl), X is hydroxyl, alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms, and especially one to three carbon atoms, aminoalkoxy of one to four carbon atoms, and especially one to three carbon atoms, or a moiety of the formula:  
 wherein R is hydrogen of alkyl of one or two carbon atoms, and  
  R is hydrogen, alkyl of one or two carbon atoms, phenyl or phenyl substituted by halo, and especially chloro or bromo, or alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms.  
 A particularly preferred group of compounds according to the present invention are those compounds of formula (I) which are represented by the formula:  
 i I R (II) wherein R is hydrogen or chlorine, preferably hydrogen,  
 B is l-imidazolyl or l-(l,2,4-triazolyl), and  
 Y is alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms.  
  A particularly preferred species according to the present invention is the compound of the formula:  
  As mentioned above, the compounds of the present invention are particularly useful as a treatment of mycotic infections in humans and animals and thus can be used for treating such fungal infections which are pathogenic to both humans and animals. The compounds of the present invention also exhibit phytopathogenic activity. The compounds of the present invention can be used as such, that is, either in the form of their bases or in the form of their pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic salts. Such salts are formed by reacting the corresponding base with the physiologically compatible non-toxic acid such as a hydrohalic acid, for example, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulphonic acids, monoor dicarboxylic acids and hydroxy-carboxylic acids or organic acids such as acetic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid and sorbic acid to produce the corresponding hydrohalide salt such as phosphorate, sulphonate,monoor dicarboxylate, hydroxy-carboxylate, acetate, tartarate, lactate, maleate, citrate, salicylate or sorbate salt.  
  The compounds of the present invention may be also formulated into pharmaceutical compositions by&#39;combining a compound according to the present invention with a pharmaceutically acceptable, non-toxic, inert diluent or carrier; The present invention also includes medicament in unitdosage form which comprises one or more compounds of the present invention either alone or in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable, non-toxic, inert diluent or carrier, Such medicament may include a protective envelope containing the active compound and in the case of pharmaceutical compositions, would include the pharmaceutically acceptable, non-toxic, inert diluent or carrier as well.  
  The term medicament in unit dosage form as used in the present specification means a medicament as defined above in the form of discrete portions each containing a unit dose, or a multiple or sub-multiple of a unit dose of the active compound or compounds. Usually it contains one, two, three, four or five unit doses, or a half, a third, a quarter or a fifth of a unit dose. Such portions may, for example, be in monolithic coherent form, such as tablets, suppositories, pills or dragees; in wrapped or concealed form, such as wrapped powders, cachets, sachets, or capsules; in ampoules, either free or as a sterile solution suitable for parenteral injection; or in any other form known to the art.  
  When the compounds of the present invention are combined with pharmaceutically acceptable, nontoxic, inert diluents or carriers, the following forms are embraced by the present invention: tablets, capsules, powders, sprays, aqueous suspensions, injectable solutions, elixirs, syrups and the like. Such carriers comprise solid diluents or fillers, a sterile aqueous medium as well as various non-toxic organic solvents and the like. Tablets and the like intended for oral application may, of course, be provided with sweetening additives and similar substances. In the aforesaid case the therapeutically active compound should be present at a concentration of about 0.5 to per cent by weight of the total mixture, in quantities which are sufficient to achieve the range of dosage mentioned above.  
  In the case of oral administration, the tablets may also contain additives, such as sodium citrate, calcium carbonate and dicalcium phosphate together with various other additives, such as starch, preferably potato starch, and the like, and binding agents, such as polyvinyl-pyrrolidone, gelatin and the like. Lubricants, such as magnesium stearate, sodium lauryl sulphate and talc may also be added for the production of tablets. In the case of aqueous suspensions and/or elixirs which are intended for oral administration, the active substance may be used with various flavouring agents, coloring substances, emulsifiers and/or together with diluents suchas water, ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerol and similar compounds or combinations of this type. I i  
  In the case of parenteral administration, solutions of the active substances in sesame or peanut oil or in aqueous propylene glycol or N,N-dimethyl formamide can be used, as can sterile aqueous solutions in the case of the water-soluble compounds. Aqueous solutions of this type should be buffered in the usual way, when required, and the liquid diluent should previously be rendered isotonic by the addition of the necessary amount of salt or glucose. These aqueous solutions are particularly suitable for intravenous and intraperitoneal injections. Sterile aqueous media of this type may be prepared&#39;in known manner.  
  Local application normally takes place using 0.5-5%, preferably 1%, solutions (for example in dimethyl formamide, glycerol, water, alcohol (such as ethanol or isopropanol) and buffer solutions, emulsions, suspensions, powders or tablets can be used.  
  When the compounds of the present invention are administered to humans and animals, a therapeutically effective amount is administered until amelioration of 5 the condition occurs. In general it has proved advantageous to administer amounts of about 30 mg to about 200 mg, preferably about 60 to 100 mg per kg body weight and per day, in order to achieve satisfactory results. Nevertheless, it may sometimes be ncessary to deviate from the above ranges, depending on the body weight of the treated animal or the method of application, and also on the particular animal species and its individual reaction to the medicament or on the formulation of the latter and the moment in time or the interval at which it is applied. In some cases it may be sufficient to use less than the minimum amount stated above, whereas in other cases the aforesaid upper limit will have to be exceeded. If larger amounts are applied, it may be advisable to distribute these in several individual doses over the day.  
  The following non-limitative examples more particularly point out and define the present invention.  
 EXAMPLE 1 acid methyl of melting point 150C.  
  The 9-imidazolyl-( l )-fluorene-9-caboxylic acid ethyl ester, melting point 131C, may be obtained by an analogous process using 9-chloro-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid ethyl ester instead of the methyl ester.  
 EXAMPLE 2 2-chloro-9-imidazolyl-( l )-fluorene-9-carboxylic methyl ester 4.6 g sodium are dissolved in 250 ml ethanol, and 13.4 g imidazole are added. The ethyl alcohol is distilled off in a vacuum, and benzene is poured over the residue. After evaporating off the benzene, the residue is dissolved in 500 ml acetonitrile and after the addition of 50.6 g 2-chloro-9-chloro-fluorene-carboxylic acid methyl ester, the mixture is heated to boiling temperature while stirring for 24 hours. The mixture is subsequently evaporated in a vacuum, the residue is treated with water and the reaction product is taken up with ethyl acetate. After evaporation of the ethyl acetate, the residue is reprecipitated from ethyl acetate/petroleum ether. 1 l g (38% of theory) of the compound of the formula:  
 acid  
 . are obtained in the form of colorless crystals of melting TABLE 1 OCH OC I I (n) QC H OCH  
 1- (1,2,4- triazolyl) 90 (decomp.)  
  1 Table l-Continued Exarzpla R X m.p. C  
  CH 11 H H O-C&#39;zi 1- (1,2,4-triazo1yl) 156 3 12 H H OC H l-imidazolyl 158 (hydrochloride) (decomp.)  
 Table 2 Example Reactant Reactant C1 COX R a R x 1 H H OCR 4 imidazole 2 2--Cl H OCH imidazole 3 H H ()C li imidazole 4 w n H H B (n) imidazole H 1 1&#34; OCH &#39;1 ,2, +-triazo1e 6 H H OC H (iso) imidazole 7 H H OCH imidazole 8 H H 00 M I 1 ,2, +-triazole 9 H H OC I-l 1 ,2, +-triazole 1O 2-Cl H 001-1 1 ,ZJi-triazole 11 n n 04;} 1 2 4-triazo1e CH 12 H H 39 5 imidazole The following examples illustrate solutions, ointments, suspensions and tablets which may be formulated with compounds of the present invention:  
 1% solution for local treatment To 1 g of the compound of Example 12 there is added with stirring and slight heating sufficient polyethylene glycol 400 to form 100 ml of solution in all.  
 1% ointment for local treatment 1 g of the compound of Example 12 is triturated with 5 g of thick liquid paraffin oil. Subsequently, sufficient ointment base of paraffin oil and polyethylene is added to form 100 g of ointment in all.  
 % suspension juice for oral application To a mixture of 10 g of the compound of Example 12 and 0.05 g of saccharin sodium, 2 g of colloidal silicic acid and 0.2 g peppermint oil there is added sufficient vegetable oil to form 100 ml of suspension juice in all. Tablets for oral application containing 200 mg of active ingredient 2 g of the compound of Example 12 are granulated together with l g lactose and 0.3 g of maize starch with 0.1 g of maize starch glue. The mixture is passed TABLE 3 Minimum inhibitory concentration in -y/ml nutrient medium Compound of Trichnphyton Microsparon Candida albicans Example species species 2 I00 100 I 4 4 40 3 4 4 40 4 4 4 4 7 4 4 4 1 2 20 10 4 8 4 4 I00 9 4 4 l0 l0 4 4 4 The preparations are of the fungistatic type of activity; when 30% of bovine serum are added, they exhibit only a low degree of protein-binding and inactivation which increases the minimum inhibitory concentration values by not more than 2 stages of dilution.  
  The compounds also show good effects in the in vivo test on white mice infected with Candida and in the case of experimental trichophytia in guinea pigs caused by Trichophyton mentaphytes and Trichophyton quinckeanum.  
 a. Experimental Candida infection in white mice:  
  After oral administration of 20 mg/kg twice daily to IOOmg/kg twice daily of the compound of Example 12, 18 of 20 white mice which had been previously infected with Candida albicans survided on the sixth day after infection, whereas 90% of the untreated control animals had died by the sixth day after infection. The compound of Example 12 is representative of the activity exhibited by the compounds of the present invention. b. Experimental trichophytia in guinea pigs:  
  Guinea pigs infected with Trichophyton metagrophytes and Trichophyton quinckeanum were treated 10- cally once daily with a 1% solution of the compound of Example 12 in polyethylene glycol 400. On the 16th day after infection, the infected areas of the control animals exhibited deep bleeding ulcerations, whereas the treated animals only exhibited hair-less infected areas which were not inflamed. The same curative effect was observed when treatment was carried out with the compounds of Examples 1, 2, 4 and 7.  
  The DL for mice and rats is about 450 to 900 mg/kg in the case of oral administration.  
  As illustrated above, the compounds of the present invention show surprisingly good antimycotic activity. These compounds are thus indicated to be useful for the treatment of the following types of diseases:  
 a. In human medicine:  
  1. dermatomycoses caused by fungi of the species trichophyton, microsporium, epidermophyton, aspergillus, Candida albicans and other yeasts;  
  2. organomycoses caused by yeasts, mould fungi and dermatophytes, as well as coccidioides, histoplasma and other biphasic fungi.  
 b. In veterinary medicine:  
  dermatomycoses and organomycoses caused by yeasts, mould fungi and dermatophytes.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A pharmaceutical composition useful for the treatment of mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises an antimycotically effective amount of a 9-azo1yl-(l)-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid derivative of the formula:  
 . A cox or a pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic salt thereof, wherein R and R are the same or different and are hydrogen,  
  lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or halo, A is 1,2,4-triazolyl, and X is hydroxyl, lower alkoxy, amino lower alkoxy, a  
 moiety of the formula:  
 wherein R is hydrogen or lower alkyl, and R is hydrogen, lower alkyl, phenyl or phenyl substituted by halo or alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic inert diluent or carrier.  
 2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein R and R are hydrogen, alkyl of one to three carbon atoms, alkoxy of one or two carbon atoms, fluoro, chloro or bromo, 4 X is hydroxyl, alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms, amino-alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms or a moiety of the formula:  
 wherein R is hydrogen or alkyl of one or two carbon atoms, and R is hydrogen, alkyl of one or two carbon atoms, phenyl substituted by halo or alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms.  
 3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein R and R are hydrogen, alkyl of one or two carbon atoms, alkoxy of one or two carbon atoms or chloro,  
 X is hydroxyl, alkoxy of one to three carbon atoms, amino-alkoxy of one to three carbon atoms or a moiety of the formula:  
 wherein R is hydrogen or alkyl of one or two carbon atoms and R is hydrogen, alkyl of one or two carbon atoms,  
 phenyl or phenyl substituted by chloro, bromo or alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms.  
  4. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the salt is a hydrohalide, a phosphoride, a sulphonate, a monoor di-carboxylate, an hydroxy-carboxylate, an acetate, a tartarate, a lactate, a maleate, a citrate, a salicylate or a sorbate.  
 5. The composition according to claim 1 which is 6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein R and R are hydrogen, A is l-(l,2,4-triazolyl) and X is methoxy.  
  7. The composition according to claim 1, wherein R and R are hydrogen, A is l-(1,2,4-triazolyl) and X is ethoxy.  
  8. The composition according to claim 1, wherein R and R are hydrogen, A is 1-(1,2,4-triazolyl) and X is butoxy.  
  9. The composition according to claim 1, wherein R is hydrogen, R is 2-chloro, A is 1-(1,2,4-triazolyl) and X is methoxy.  
  10. A pharmaceutical composition useful for the treatment of mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises an antimycotically effective amount of a 9-azolyl-( l -fluorene-9 -carboxylic acid derivative of the formula:  
 B COY or a pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic salt thereof, wherein R is hydrogen or chloro,  
 B is l-(l,2,4-triazolyl) and Y is alkoxy of one to four carbon atoms, in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic inert diluent or carrier.  
  11. A composition according to claim 10, wherein R is hydrogen.  
  12. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 1.  
  13. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effecive amount of a composition of claim 2.  
  14. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 3.  
  15. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 4.  
  16. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals whichh comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 5.  
  17. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 6.  
  18. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 7.  
  19. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 8.  
  20. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 9.  
  21. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 10.  
  22. A method of treating mycotic infections in humans and animals which comprises administering to said human or animal an antimycotically effective amount of a composition of claim 11.  
 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,879,558 DATED I April 22, 1975 INV ENTOR( I HELMUT TIb MLER ET AL It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:  
 Please correct the German Application No. to read Claim 1, column 9, line 64 before &#34;a&#34; insert --or- Claim 5, column 10, line 46 delete &#34;which&#34; and insert --wherein the compound-- Signed and Sealed this thirtieth Day Of September 1975 [SEAL] Arrest:  
 RUTH C. N h SON c. MARSHALL DANN K ff fl&#34; (mnmissr&#39;uncr uflarcnts and Trademarks