| abstract |
A novel 3-hydroxypyridin-4-one compound of formula (I) is provided, wherein R is hydrogen or a group that is removed by metabolism in vivo to provide the free hydroxy compound, R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group substituted by a hydroxy group or a carboxylic acid ester, sulpho acid ester or a C1-6alkoxy, C6-aryloxy or C7-10aralkoxy ether thereof, R3 is selected from hydrogen and C1-6alkyl; and R4 is selected from hydrogen and C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkyl and a group as described for R2; characterised in that R2 is selected from groups (i) -CONH-R5, (ii) -CH2NHCO-R5, (iii) -SO2NH-R5, (iv) -CH2NHSO2-R5, (v) -CR6R6OR7, (viii) -CONHCOR5, wherein R5 is selected from hydrogen and optionally hydroxy, alkoxy, or aralkoxy substituted C1-13alkyl, aryl and C7-13aralkyl, R6 is independently selected from hydrogen, C1-13alkyl, aryl and C7-13aralkyl, and R7 is selected from hydrogen, C1-13alkyl, aryl and C7-13aralkyl or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of any such compound with the proviso that when R7 is hydrogen, R6 is not selected from aryl and with the proviso that the compound is not 1-ethyl-2-(1'-hydroxyethyl)-3-hydroxypyridin-4-one. |