Synthesis and evaluation of 1-(arylsulfonyl)-2-[(methoxycarbonyl)sulfenyl]-1-methylhydrazines++ + as antineoplastic agents.

1-(Arylsulfonyl)-2-[(methoxycarbonyl)sulfenyl]-1-methylhydrazines, with the potential to function as biological methylating agents, were synthesized and evaluated as antineoplastic agents against the L1210 leukemia and the B16 melanoma in mice. All of the compounds of this class had significant activity against the B16 melanoma, with the most active compound, 2-[(methoxycarbonyl)sulfenyl]-1-methyl-1-[(4- methylphenyl)sulfonyl]hydrazine, producing percent T/C values for B16 melanoma tumor bearing mice of between 182 and 232 at dosage levels of from 12.5 to 50 mg/kg daily for 6 consecutive days. In contrast to the related class of agents, the N,N'-bis(sulfonyl)hydrazines reported earlier by this laboratory,1 the 1-(arylsulfonyl)-2-[(methoxycarbonyl)sulfenyl]-1-methylhydrazines were found to be inactive against the L1210 leukemia in vivo.