A treatment process is disclosed that comprises administering an effective amount
of an aromatic sulfone hydroxamic acid that exhibits excellent inhibitory activity
of one or more matrix metalloprotease (MMP) enzymes, such as MMP-2, MMP-9, and
MMP-13, while exhibiting substantially less inhibition at least of MMP-1 to a host
having a condition associated with pathological matrix metalloprotease activity.
The administered enzyme inhibitor corresponds in structure to formula (I), below,
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 and R2
are both hydrido or R1 and R2 together with the atoms
to which they are bonded form a 5- to 8-membered ring containing one, two, or three
heteroatoms in the ring that are oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen. R3 in
formula (I) is an optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted heteroaryl
radical. Also disclosed are metalloprotease inhibitor compounds having those selective
activities, processes for manufacture of such compounds and pharmaceutical compositions
using an inhibitor.
##STR1##
