Patent ID: 7381744

Claim:
A method of treating a condition treatable by the inhibition of vacuolar-type (H+)-ATPase, said method comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an amount effective to inhibit vacuolar-type (H+)-ATPase of at least one compound of the formula: wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and each is H, a straight-chain or branched saturated or unsaturated alkyl, an aryl, R 6 CH 2 —, R 6 CO—, or R 6 SO 2 —, wherein R 6 is H, a straight-chain or branched saturated or unsaturated alkyl, or an aryl; R 3 is H, a straight-chain or branched saturated or unsaturated alkyl, an aryl, an oxime, or an oxime methyl ether; the aromatic ring of formula (I) is unsubstituted or substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a halogen, a nitro, an amino, a hydroxyl, a thio, an acyl, an alkyl, and a cyano; the saturated alkyl, unsaturated alkyl and aryl substituents defined in any one or more of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , or R 6 are unsubstituted or substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a halogen, a nitro, an amino, a hydroxyl, a thio, an acyl, an alkyl, and a cyano; and Z is a contiguous linker comprising a chain of 7-10 carbon atoms which, together with the five atoms beginning with the carbon of the aromatic ring of formula (I) in meta-relationship with OR 1 and ending with the carbon directly attached to the alkyl oxygen of the lactone of formula (I), said carbons being covalently bonded to either end of linker Z, integrally form a 12-15 membered ring; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, an ester, or a prodrug thereof, wherein the condition is osteoporosis.