Patent ID: 6992076

Claim:
A method for achieving sustained therapeutic or prophylactic blood concentrations of a GABA analog or an active metabolite thereof in the systemic circulation of an animal which method comprises orally administering to said animal a compound of formula (I): wherein: R 1 and R 2 are independently hydrogen or hydroxy; X is hydroxy; Z is a group of the formula: —M—Q b —D′ wherein: M is selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 OC(O)— and —CH 2 CH 2 C(O)—; Q b is a linking group of formula: —[E—(F*) n —G] m — wherein: m is an integer of from 1 to 4; n is 0 or 1; E is —O—; F* is selected from a group consisting of alkylene, substituted alkylene, alkenylene, substituted alkenylene, alkynylene, and substituted alkynylene; and G is —C(O); wherein Q b is cleavable under physiological conditions provided that Q b is not a linear oligopeptide consisting of 1, 2 or 3 α-amino acids and/or β-amino acids; and D′ is a GABA analog moiety of the formula: wherein: R 3′ is a covalent bond linking the GABA analog moiety to Q b ; R 4′ is hydrogen or R 4′ and R 9′ together with the atoms to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring; R 5′ and R 6′ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl and substituted heteroaryl; R 7′ and R 8′ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl and substituted heteroaryl, or R 7′ and R 8′ together with the atoms to which they are attached form a cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocyclic or substituted heterocyclic ring; R 9′ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl and substituted heteroaryl; R 10′ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl and substituted heteroaryl; R 11′ is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid, carboxylic amide, and carboxylic ester; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.