Antileukemic activity of derivatives of 1-phenyl-2,5-dimethyl-3,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)pyrrole bis(N-methylcarbamate).

Treatment of N-aryl-N-acetylalanine derivatives, 3, with acetic anhydride-dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate gave the dimethyl N-aryl-2,5-dimethylpyrrole-3,4-dicarboxylates, 4. Reduction of 4 and acylation of 5 gave 2a-j and 6. All of the title compounds 2a-j and 6 showed significant reproducible activity in the P388 in vivo antileukemic assay.