A paclitaxel analogue with a 2(3→20)abeotaxane skeleton: Synthesis and biological evaluation

A paclitaxel analogue having an unusual tricyclic [9.3.1.1] hexadecane skeleton was synthesized from deaminoacyltaxine A, a 2(3→20) abeotaxane isolated in considerable amounts from the leaves of Taxus baccata L. In preliminary studies, this compound showed a much lower cytotoxicity than paclitaxel.