Water soluble 4-azapodophyllotoxin analogs

1. Compound of formula (I):

in which

X represents —CH 2 — or —CH 2 CH 2 —;

R 1 and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl;

R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, C1-C4-alkylthio, halogen, trifluoromethyl, CN;

or R 2 and R 3 , taken together, form a bridging group selected from the group consisting of —(CH 2 )n- and —O—(CH 2 )m-O—, n being an integer between 3 and 4 and m being 1 or 2;

Ar represents a phenyl or naphthyl group optionally substituted with one to four substituents independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, OH, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 -alkylthio, halogen, trifluoromethyl, CN,

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and/or a solvate thereof.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein Ar represents a phenyl or naphthyl group substituted by two substituents independently selected from the group consisting of OH and C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, and optionally substituted with one to two more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, OH, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 -alkylthio, halogen, trifluoromethyl, CN.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy.

4. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 2 and R 3 , taken together, form the bridging group —O—(CH 2 ) m —O—, m being 1 or 2 and both R 1 and R 4 represent H.

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein X represents —CH 2 CH 2 — and both R 1 and R 4 represent H.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein Ar represents a phenyl group substituted with two or three C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy groups.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein Ar is a 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl group.

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein said compound of formula (I) is:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and/or solvate thereof.

9. Pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and/or a solvate thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein it contains between 0.01% and 10% by weight of said compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and/or a solvate thereof, relative to the total weight of the composition.

11. The composition of claim 9 , wherein it is formulated as a composition for administration by parenteral or oral route.

12. Kit comprising at least:

a first composition comprising said compound of formula (I) as defined in claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, optionally in the form of a solvate, and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, and

a second composition comprising another antitumoral agent, selected from cisplatine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, or fluorouracil.

13. A method for treating cancer comprising administering to patient in need thereof the composition of claim 9 .

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of melanoma, lung carcinoma, colon carcinoma, breast cancer, brain tumors, pancreas cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer, lymphoma, and liver cancer.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cancer is a multi-drug resistant cancer.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the composition is used alone or in combination, simultaneously, separately or sequentially, with ionizing or non-ionizing radiations or hyperthermia.

17. Method for preparing a compound of claim 1 , comprising the following successive steps:

a) condensing formaldehyde, 1,3-cyclohexanedione or 1,3-cyclopentanedione and an aniline (II):

followed by oxidation, yielding an intermediate (III):

b) Oxidizing intermediate (III) so as to obtain an N-oxide (IV):

c) Reacting N-oxide (IV) with a chlorinating agent, yielding intermediate (V):

d) Reacting intermediate (V) with an aniline ArNH 2 (VI) so as to obtain a compound of formula (I);

e) optionally treating the obtained compound of formula (I) with an acid so as to obtain a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound of formula (I)

wherein X, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and Ar are as defined in claim 1 .

18. A method for treating cancer, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof simultaneously, sequentially or in a staggered manner:

a first composition comprising said compound of formula (I) as defined in claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, optionally in the form of a solvate, and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, and

a second composition comprising another antitumoral agent, selected from cisplatine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, or fluorouracil.