Patent ID: 8916609

Claim:
A method for preventing, inhibiting or slowing the growth of L-cystine crystallization in a subject where such growth is present comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of formula I: R 1a -[O] v -(-A-L-) m -A-[O] v —R 1b I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, cocrystal, or prodrug thereof, and stereoisomers, tautomers and isotopic variants thereof; and wherein each A is independently each X and Y is independently S, S(O), S(O) 2 , or C(R 5 ) q ; each R 2a , R 2b , R 3a , R 3b , R 3c , R 3d , R 4a , and R 5 is independently selected from H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, and substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl; the subscript q is 1 or 2; the dotted bond is a single or a double bond; provided that when one of X and Y is S, S(O), or S(O) 2 , then the dotted bond is a single bond; L is —O—C 1 -C 6 alkylene-O—, —O-aryl-O—, or a group —O—(CH 2 —CH 2 —O—) t ; the subscript t is 1-10; the subscript m is 0-10; and each R 1a and R 1b is independently selected from H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, and substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl; and each subscript v is 0 or 1; and when A is Ia′, both X and Y are S, S(O), or S(O) 2 , and m is 0, then each subscript v is 0; and when A is Ib′, X is S, and m is 0, then each subscript v is 0.