The present invention relates to a process for carbonylating allyl alcohols at low temperature, low pressure and/or low catalyst loading. In an alternative embodiment, an acylation product of the allyl alcohol is used for the carbonylation. The present invention likewise relates to the preparation of conversion products of these carbonylation products and specifically of ()-ambrox.

There is provided SHC/HAC derivatives, amino acid sequences comprising the SHC/HAC derivatives, nucleotide sequences encoding the SHC/HAC derivatives, vectors comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the SHC/HAC derivatives, recombinant host cells comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the SHC/HAC derivatives and applications of the recombinant host cells comprising either SHC/HAC derivatives or WT SHC/HAC enzymes in methods to prepare ()-Ambrox and SHC/HAC enzymes in methods to prepare ()-Ambrox.

There is provided SHC/HAC derivatives, amino acid sequences comprising the SHC/HAC derivatives, nucleotide sequences encoding the SHC/HAC derivatives, vectors comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the SHC/HAC derivatives, recombinant host cells comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the SHC/HAC derivatives and applications of the recombinant host cells comprising either SHC/HAC derivatives or WT SHC/HAC enzymes in methods to prepare ()-Ambrox and SHC/HAC enzymes in methods to prepare ()-Ambrox.

The present invention relates to the use of a novel class of cancer stem cell pathway (CSCP) inhibitors; to methods of using such compounds to treat refractory, recurrent, or metastatic cancers; to methods of selective killing cancer cells by using such compounds with specific administration regimen; to methods of targeting cancer stem cells by inhibiting Stat3 pathway; to methods of using novel compounds in the treatment of conditions or disorders in a mammal related to aberrant Stat3 pathway activity; and to processes for preparing such compounds and intermediates thereof, and to the pharmaceutical compositions of relevant compounds, and to the specific methods of administration of these compounds.

The present invention relates to the use of a novel class of cancer stem cell pathway (CSCP) inhibitors; to methods of using such compounds to treat refractory, recurrent, or metastatic cancers; to methods of selective killing cancer cells by using such compounds with specific administration regimen; to methods of targeting cancer stem cells by inhibiting Stat3 pathway; to methods of using novel compounds in the treatment of conditions or disorders in a mammal related to aberrant Stat3 pathway activity; and to processes for preparing such compounds and intermediates thereof, and to the pharmaceutical compositions of relevant compounds, and to the specific methods of administration of these compounds.

A compound represented by the general Formula (I) below, or a salt or solvate thereof, which is useful as an ALK inhibitor, and is useful for prophylaxis or treatment of a disease accompanied by abnormality in ALK, for example, cancer, cancer metastasis, depression or cognitive function disorder:

##STR00001## (meanings of the symbols that are included in the formula are as given in the specification).

A compound represented by the general Formula (I) below, or a salt or solvate thereof, which is useful as an ALK inhibitor, and is useful for prophylaxis or treatment of a disease accompanied by abnormality in ALK, for example, cancer, cancer metastasis, depression or cognitive function disorder:

##STR00001## (meanings of the symbols that are included in the formula are as given in the specification).

There is provided a compound having Formula I:

##STR00001##

In the formula: NpHet is a naphthalene core having at least one fused 5-membered heteroaromatic ring, where the heteroaromatic ring has one heteroatom which is O, S, Se, or Te; Ar.sup.1-Ar.sup.6 are the same or different and are a hydrocarbon aryl group, a heteroaryl group, or a deuterated analog thereof; a and b are the same or different and are 0 or 1; m and n are the same or different and are 0 or 1; with the proviso that a, b, m, and n are not all 0.

There is provided a compound having Formula I:

##STR00001##

In the formula: NpHet is a naphthalene core having at least one fused 5-membered heteroaromatic ring, where the heteroaromatic ring has one heteroatom which is O, S, Se, or Te; Ar.sup.1-Ar.sup.6 are the same or different and are a hydrocarbon aryl group, a heteroaryl group, or a deuterated analog thereof; a and b are the same or different and are 0 or 1; m and n are the same or different and are 0 or 1; with the proviso that a, b, m, and n are not all 0.

The present disclosure provides compounds of Formulas (I), (II), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds described herein are useful in treating proliferative diseases, for example, cancer (e.g., lung cancer), and infectious diseases (e.g., bacterial infections). ##STR00001##