formocortal Property

Melting point:

180-182°

alpha 

D20 +26° (chloroform)

Density 

1.2000 (estimate)

Safety

Toxicity

LD50 in mice: >2000 mg/kg orally; 490 mg/kg s.c.; 537 mg/kg i.p. (Bertazzoli)

Hazard and Precautionary Statements (GHS)

formocortal Chemical Properties,Usage,Production

Originator

Fluderma,Farmitalia,Italy,1970

Uses

formocortal is a corticosteroid with antiinflammatory activity used in ophthalmology.

Definition

ChEBI: Formocortal is a steroid. It derives from a hydride of a pregnane.

Manufacturing Process

4.8 grams of 9α-fluoro-4-pregnene-11β,16α,17α,21-tetrol-3,20-dione-21- acetate-16α,17α-acetonide, melting at 248° to 250°C and prepared by acetylation of the corresponding 21-alcohol (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1959, 81, page 1689), were refluxed for 20 hours with 80 cc of dioxane, 5.2 cc of ethylene glycol, 4.8 cc of ethyl orthoformate and 60 mg of p-toluenesulfonic acid. After cooling, 0.6 cc of pyridine were added and the mixture was concentrated in vacuo, diluted with ethyl acetate, poured into a separatory funnel, and washed with water, with a solution of 5% aqueous sodium bicarbonate and then with water to neutrality. After distilling off the solvent, a residue of 5.5 grams remained, which was dissolved in benzene and chromatographed over 100 grams of Florisil (chromatographic adsorbent). 3 grams of 9α-fluoro-5-pregnene-11β,16α,17α,21-tetrol-3,20-dione-21-acetate- 3-ethyleneketal-16α,17α-acetonide, melting at 145° to 147°C, were collected from the fractions eluted with benzene-ether 9:1.
1 gram of this 9α-fluoro-5-pregnene-11β,16α,17α,21-tetrol-3,20-dione-21- acetate-3-ethyleneketal-16α,17α-acetonide in 2 cc of dimethylformamide and 2 cc of trichloroethylene was heated for 3 hours on an oil bath at 70°C with the reagent obtained from 0.5 cc of dimethylformamide in 4 cc of trichloroethylene with 0.5 cc phosphorus oxychloride. After cooling to 0°C, 1 gram of sodium acetate dissolved in 3 cc of water were slowly added with stirring. The mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate and the extracts were washed with water, with a 5% aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and then with water to neutrality. On distillation of the solvent 1.1 grams of a residue was obtained from which, after dissolution in ether and precipitation with petroleum ether, 0.500 gram of 3-(2'-chloroethoxy)-6-formyl-9α-fluoro- 3,5-pregnadien-11β,16α,17α,21-tetrol-20-one-21-acetate-16α,17α-acetonide, melting at 180° to 182°C were obtained.

Therapeutic Function

Glucocorticoid, Antiinflammatory