Patent ID: 7071232

Claim:
A method of lowering feed efficiency in an animal, comprising administering to the animal an amount of a compound of Formula I wherein: the group A is SO 3 H or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or physiologically hydrolyzable derivative thereof; the group R 1 is H, a linear or branched lower alkyl, an arylalkyl or an alkenyl; the group R 2 is H, a linear or branched lower alkyl, an alkenyl, an arylalkyl, an acyl, a carbonate ester, an allyloxy carbonyl, a cycloalkoxycarbonyl, an unsubstituted arylalkoxycarbonyl or a substituted arylalkoxycarbony; or the groups R 1 and R 2 taken together form, with the nitrogen to which to which they are attached, a 5 to 7 membered ring; and the groups L 1 and L 2 are, independently, a hydrocarbon linking group, a cycloalkyl, or an interphenylene; with the proviso that the compound of formula I is not beta-alethine; which amount is sufficient to reduce the amount of food required to increase a unit of weight in the animal.