Patent ID: 6916808

Claim:
A compound of formula (Ia): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, amide or prodrug thereof; wherein in formula (Ia): A is a 6-membered aromatic ring optionally substituted with one or more groups as defined below for R 1 ; and R 1 is a branched C 4-50 alkyl or unbranched C 3-25 alkyl, a branched C 4-50 alkylether or unbranched C 3-25 alkylether, a branched C 4-50 alkylpolyether or unbranched C 3-25 alkylpolyether, C 2-25 alkenyl, C 2-25 alkynyl, C 3-10 cycloalkyl, C 3-10 cyclonalkenyl, aryl, arylC 2-25 alkyl, reduced arylC 1-25 alkyl, arylC 2-25 alkenyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylC 2-25 alkyl, heteroarylC 2-25 alkenyl, reduced aryl, reduced heteroaryl, reduced heteroarylC 2-25 alkyl or a substituted derivative of any of the foregoing groups, wherein the substituents are one or more independently of halogen, alkyl, halosubstituted alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, reduced heteroaryl, reduced heteroarylalkyl, arylalkoxy, cyano, nitro, —C(O)R 4 , —CO 2 R 5 , —SOR 4 , —SO 2 R 4 , —NR 6 R 7 , —OR 6 , —SR 6 , —C(O)CX 1 X 2 NR 6 R 7 , —C(O)N(OH)R 6 , —C(O)NR 5 R 4 , —NR 6 C(O)R 4 , —CR 6 (NH 2 )CO 2 R 6 , —NHCX 1 X 2 CO 2 R 6 , —N(OH)C(O)NR 6 R 7 , —N(OH)C(O)R 4 , —NHC(O)NR 6 R 7 , —C(O)NHNR 6 R 7 , —C(O)N(OR 5 )R 6 with the proviso that any hetero atom substituent in R 1 must be separated from the exocyclic sulphur atom by at least two carbon atoms; and where: R 4 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, reduced heteroaryl, reduced heteroarylalkyl, —OR 6 , —NHCX 1 X 2 CO 2 R 6 or —NR 6 R 7 ; R 5 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, reduced heteroaryl or reduced heteroarylalkyl; R 6 and R 7 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, reduced heteroaryl, reduced heteroarylalkyl or —(CH 2 ) n (OR 5 ) m wherein n is 1 to 12, wherein m is 1 to 3; and X 1 and X 2 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, reduced heteroaryl or reduced heteroarylalkyl with the proviso that when A is phenyl disubstituted at the 6 and 7 positions with methoxy groups, R 1 is not CH 2 CH═CHPh.