Synthesis and anti-tumor activity of a fluorinated analog of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), 9alpha-fluoromedroxyprogesterone acetate (FMPA).

We synthesized 9alpha-fluoromedroxyprogesterone acetate (FMPA) in order to test whether it is a more potent anti-angiogenic agent than medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), which has been widely used as a therapeutic agent for breast and endometrium cancers. FMPA was previously synthesized in 10 steps (total yield: 1%). An efficient synthesis of FMPA has been achieved in 6 steps (total yield: 12%). We examined the anti-tumor effect of FMPA, complexed with dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DM-beta-CyD), on rat mammary carcinomas induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). FMPA showed great anti-tumor effect on DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinomas.