Patent ID: 7045619

Claim:
A compound of formula (Ia): wherein: R α is hydrogen, optionally substituted (C 1-6 )alkyl or optionally substituted aryl; R β is hydrogen, optionally substituted (C 1-6 )alkyl or optionally substituted aryl; or R α and R β together with the atoms to which they are attached form an optionally substituted 5 or 6 membered non-aromatic heterocyclic ring optionally containing up to four additional heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, which ring may be unsubstituted or substituted by up to three substituents selected from halogen, (C 1-6 )alkyl, aryl(C 1-4 )alkyl(C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-6 )alkoxy(C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, hydroxy, amino, mono- and di-N-(C 1-6 )alkylamino, (C 2-6 )acylamino, carboxy salts, carboxy esters, carbamoyl, mono- and di-N-(C 1-6 )alkylcarbonyl, (C 1-6 ) alkoxycarboxylate, aryloxycarbonyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxycarbonyl(C 1-6 alkyl, aryl, oxo, ureido, guanidino, sulphonylamino, aminosulphonyl, (C 1-6 )alkylthio, (C 1-6 )alkylsulphinyl, (C 1-6 )alkylsulphonyl, heterocyclyl and heterocyclyl(C 1-4 )alkyl; when R α and R β are either or both (C 1-6 )alkyl, the optional substituents are selected from halogen, hydroxy, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, carboxy and salts thereof, (C 1-6 )alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, mono- or di(C 1-6 )alkylcarbamoyl, sulphamoyl, mono- and di(C 1-6 )alkylsulphamoyl, amino, mono- and di(C 1-6 )alkylamino, (C 2-6 )acylamino, ureido, (C 1-6 )alkoxycarbonylamino, aminocarbonyloxy and mono- and di(C 1-6 )alkylaminocarbonyloxy, 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonylamino, aryl, heterocyclyl, oxo, (C 2-6 )acyl, heteroaryl, (C 1-6 )alkylthio, arylthio, heterocyclythio, (C 1-6 )alkane-sulphinyl, arylsulphinyl, (C 1-6 )alkanesulphonyl, arylsulphonyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxyimino, hydroxyimino, and hydrazono; when R α and R β are either or both aryl, the optional substituents are selected from halogen, (C 1-6 )alkyl, aryl(C 1-4 )alkyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxy, (C 1-6 )alkoxy(C 1-6 )alkyl, halo(C 1-6 )alkyl, hydroxy, amino, mono- and di-N-(C 1-6 )alkylamino, (C 2-6 )acylamino, carboxy, carboxy salts, carboxy esters, carbamoyl, mono- and di-N-(C 1-6 )alkylcarbamoyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxycarbonyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxycarboxylate, aryloxycarbonyl, (C 1-6 )alkoxycarbonyl(C 1-6 )alkylaryl, ureido, guanidino, sulphonylamino, aminosulphonyl, (C 1-6 )alkylthio, (C 1-6 )alkylsulphinyl (C 1-6 )alkylsulphonyl, heterocyclyl and heterocyclyl (C 1-4 )alkyl, or two adjacent ring carbon atoms may be linked by a (C 3-5 )alkylene chain, to form a carbocyclic ring; R 1 is (C 1-6 )alkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by fluoro, a hydroxy group, or an amino group; R 2 is hydrogen or methyl; and heterocyclyl is an aromatic or non-aromatic ring, optionally fused to a second ring, in which the, or each, ring contains up to four heteroatoms, each of which is selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, each ring having 5 or 6 ring atoms, and a fused heterocyclic ring system may include a carbocyclic ring; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a pharmaceutically acceptable in vivo hydrolysable ester thereof.