Patent · US Expired

Medical use of fluorenone derivatives for treating and preventing brain and spinal injury

US6251898A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
14References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 24, 1999
Grant dateJun 26, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 24, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC07D277/04
  • WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Newly-created fluorenone drugs can be used to prevent, treat, or otherwise reduce damage to a brain or spinal cord following a medical crisis. These new drugs are markedly improved analogs of previously-known fluorenone compounds that were never commercialized or developed into medically useful treatments. The new analogs have the following structure: ##STR1## where X is a lower alkyl, substituted alkyl, or cycloalkyl group, R is selected from certain types of ether, ester, or amide groups, and Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 are halogen, hydrogen, or methyl. These new compounds can penetrate a blood-brain barrier and potently inhibit the unwanted release of excitotoxic neurotransmitters by astrocyte cells following an injury or insult to the brain or spinal cord. As an illustration, some of these new analogs were more than 30 times more potent than the previously known best compound in reducing aspartate release by stressed astrocytes. The new analogs also reduce swelling in astrocytes, thereby promoting proper blood flow through the brain and spinal cord following an injury or other crisis. These new analogs have been shown to work with very good efficacy in in vivo animal models of focal or…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.