Process for producing staurosporine derivatives

Claim 1

A process for producing a staurosporine derivative represented by Formula (I): ##STR27## wherein: Q represents hydrogen or --X--(CH 2 ) m --Y--(CH 2 ) n --Z wherein: X represents a single bond or --CO-- Y represents a single bond or --CH(OH)-- Z represents hydroxy, O C O N R 1 R 2 , in which each of R 1 and R 2 independently represents hydrogen or lower alkyl, or R 1 and R 2 , combined together with the nitrogen atom adjacent thereto, form a heterocyclic group selected from the group consisting of pyrrolidinyl, imidazolidinyl, pyrazolidinyl, piperidino, morpholino, piperazinyl, N-methylpiperizinyl, indolinyl and isoindolinyl, carboxyl, N R 3 and R 4 , in which each of R 3 and R 4 independently represents hydrogen or lower alkyl, or R 3 and R 4 , combined together with the nitrogen atom adjacent thereto, form a heterocyclic group selected from the group consisting of pyrrolidinyl, imidazolidinyl, pyrazolidinyl, piperidino, morpholino, piperazinyl, N-methylpiperizinyl, indolinyl and isoindolinyl, or, aryl which is optionally substituted with 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, amino, halogen and nitro, each of m and n independently represents an integer from 0 to 6, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, which comprises oxidizing a compound represented by the formula (II) ##STR28## wherein Q has the same meaning as previously defined, with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and an aqueous alkaline solution.