| abstract |
3-hydroxypyridin-4-ones of formula (I) in which R1 is a methyl, ethyl, 2-(.alpha.-methyl-propionyloxy)ethyl or 2-pivaloyloxyethyl group and R2, R3 and R4 are each separately se-lected from hydrogen and methyl, ethyl, 2-(.alpha.-methylpropionyloxy)-ethyl and 2-pivaloy-loxyethyl groups with the provisos that (a) one only of R1 to R4 is either a 2-(.alpha.-methyl-propionyloxy)ethyl group or a 2-pivaloyloxyethyl group, (b) at least one of R2 and R3 is other than hydrogen and (c) the total number of carbon atoms in R1 to R4 is no more than eleven, and physiologically acceptable salts thereof are of use in therapy, particu-larly in the treatment of conditions in which there is a toxic concentration of a metal, for example iron, in the body. |