Patent ID: 6291506
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: A61K,A61P,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for reducing axonally-mediated retinal ganglion cell death in a subject having an axonally-mediated condition selected from the group consisting of pressure-independent glaucomatous optic neuropathy, ischemic optic neuropathy, inflammatory optic neuropathy, compressive optic neuropathy, and traumatic optic neuropathy, comprising the steps of:(a) providing at least one compound selected from the group consisting essentially of the compounds of Formula 1: ##STR7##Wherein:R.sub.1 is hydrogen, lower alkanoyl of up to 6 carbon atoms or aroyl selected from benzoyl and naphthoyl;R.sub.2 is hydrogen lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms or arylalkyl selected from benzyl, phenylethyl and phenylpropyl;R.sub.3 is hydrogen or lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms;R.sub.4 is hydrogen or lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, or when X is oxygen, R.sub.4 together with R.sub.5 can represent --CH.sub.2 --O--;X is a valency bond, --CH.sub.2, oxygen or sulfur;Ar is selected from phenyl, naphthyl, indanyl and tetrahydronaphthyl;R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are individually selected from hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, hydroxyl, lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, a --CONH.sub.2 -group, lower alkoxy of up to 6 carbon atoms, benzyloxy, lower alkylthio of up to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkysulphinyl of up to 6 carbon atoms and lower alkylsulphonyl of up to 6 carbon atoms; or R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 represent together methylenedioxy; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; and(b) delivering a therapeutically effective amount of the compound of step (a) to at least a portion of the subject's retinal ganglion cells (RGC).