Patent ID: 7235584

Claim:
A compound of the general Formula (I): having the (3S,4S) configuration and being essentially free of the (3R,4R) enantiomer, wherein A—B indicates an optional 1(2) or 6(1) double bond, R 1 is A) R 3 where R 3 is selected from the group consisting of a) a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, carbon side chain comprising 1–8 carbon atoms and 1–3 heteroatoms, at least one heteroatom being placed between two carbon atoms; or b) a saturated or unsaturated cyclic moiety or an aromatic or heterocyclic moiety having from 5–20 atoms comprising one or two-ringed structures, wherein each ring comprises 3–8 carbons and 0–4 heteroatoms, said heteroatoms each independently selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S; wherein each ring optionally is further substituted with one or more groups selected from i) C 1-6 alkyl, ii) C 1-6 alkoxy, iii) C 1-6 alkylthio, iv) halo, v) carboxyl, vi) —CO 2 —C 1-4 alkyl, vii) keto, viii) nitro, and ix) a saturated or unsaturated cyclic moiety, or an aromatic or a heterocyclic moiety having from 5–20 atoms comprising one or two ringed structures, wherein each ring comprises 3–8 carbons and 0–4 heteroatoms, said heteroatoms each independently selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S; wherein each ring optionally is further substituted with one or more groups selected from i)-viii) as defined above; B) an amine or an amide substituted with at least one substituent as defined in R 3 above; C) a thiol, a sulfide, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, a thioester or a thioamide optionally substituted with one substituent as defined in R 3 above; or D) an ether—OR 3 wherein R 3 is as defined above; G is (a) halogen, (b) C 1 –C 6 alkyl, or (c) —OR wherein R is (a′) —R″, wherein R″ is hydrogen or C 1 –C 6 alkyl optionally containing a terminal —OR′″ or —OC(O)R′″ moiety wherein R′″ is hydrogen or C 1 –C 6 alkyl, or (b′) —C(O)R′″ wherein R′″ is as previously defined, and R 2 is (a) C 1 –C 12 alkyl, (b) —OR″″, in which R″″ is a straight chain or branched C 2 –C 9 alkyl which may be substituted at the terminal carbon atom by a phenyl group, or (c) —(CH 2 ) n OR′″ wherein n is an integer of 1 to 7 and R′″ is hydrogen or C 1 –C 6 alkyl; with the proviso that R 1 is other than a heterocyclic moiety having a labile hydrogen atom so that said moiety acts as a carboxylic acid analogue.