Patent ID: 6194415
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: A61K,A61P,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of protecting the optic nerve and retina of a mammal comprising administering to said mammal suffering from or at risk of suffering a noxious action on said nerve cells an effective amount of a compound of formula I to inhibit or prevent nerve cell injury or death ##STR7##wherein the 2-imidazolin-2-ylamino group is in either the 5- or 6-position of the quinoxaline nucleus; x, y and z are in any of the remaining 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-positions and are selected from hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or trifluoromethyl; and R is an optional substituent in either the 2- or 3-position of the quinoxaline nucleus and may be hydrogen, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and mixtures thereof, wherein said noxious action is selected from the group consisting of glaucomatous optic neuropathy, atrophy associated with dry ARMD, laser light directed into the eye in a procedure for treatment of wet ARMD, ischemia secondary to glaucoma and photoreceptor cell damage associated with retinitis pigmentosa.