Abstract: The compound 2-amino-5,6-dichloro-3,4-dihydroquinazoline has been found to have enhanced platelet count reducing properties. Also provided are methods for synthetically making the compound and a method of reducing the platelet count in a patient by administering to the patient a platelet reducing effective amount of the compound preferably together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. A pharmaceutical composition is also provided which contains the above compound as the active ingredient together with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.

Abstract: Chemically stable pharmaceutical formulations comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a material of formula I are provided which formulations contain a stabilizer system comprising an organic carboxylic acid containing more than 1 carboxylic acid group and an antioxidant. The preferred organic carboxylic acid is citric acid and the preferred antioxidants are ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene, which antioxidants are preferred to be used in admixture. The chemically stable pharmaceutical formulations are particularly useful for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in mammals and comprises administering to the mammal needing treatment an effective dose of the above chemically stable pharmaceutical formulation. The stabilizer system is also effective for use in other pharmaceutical formulations containing active ingredients having oxidizable groups such as amino, phenolic, hydryoxyl amino, aldehyde, unsaturated compounds, sulfoxide, sulfone and mercapto.

Abstract: The known blood platelet reducing agent Anagrelide is prepared via an improved process starting with commercially available 2,3-dichlorotoluene and involving novel intermediates represented by the formulas: ##STR1## wherein Y is Br, Cl or I. Compound (G) is reacted with ethyl glycine to form the well-known intermediate ethyl-N-(2,3-dichloro-6-nitro benzyl) glycine which is then used following conventional process steps to form Anagrelide.