Use of compounds of formula (I) in the manufacture of a medicament for use in treating a disorder mediated by histone deacetylase: wherein the symbol ---- represents a single bond or a double bond or the symbol ---- R6 and R8 together represent cyclopropyl and R1 to R8 W, X and Y are as defined herein; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Also disclosed are compounds for such uses. The compounds are useful in the treatment of cancers. They may be utilised in combination therapies with DNA methylation inhibitors and other anti cancer agents.
enantioselective total synthesis of the (9S, 18R)-diastereomer of this macrocyclic polyene lactam. Key elements of the synthesis are i) the synthesis of the required chiral building blocks by employing readily accessible building blocks from the chiral pool, that is, (S)-malic acid and (R)-hydroxyisobutyric acid, ii) assembly of a linear polyene precursor by means of Wittig and Horner olefination reactions as