Indole analogs of mevalonolactone and derivatives thereof

Abstract

Compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein one of R and R.sub.o is ##STR2## and the other is primary or secondary C.sub.1-6 alkyl not containing an asymmetric carbon atom, C.sub.3-6 cycloalkyl or phenyl-(CH.sub.2).sub.m --, wherein R.sub.4 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-3 alkyl, n-butyl, i-butyl, t-butyl, C.sub.1-3 alkoxy, n-butoxy, i-butoxy, trifluoromethyl, fluoro, chloro, phenoxy or benzyloxy, R.sub.5 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-3 alkyl, C.sub.1-3 alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, fluoro, chloro, phenoxy or benzyloxy, R.sub.5a is hydrogen, C.sub.1-2 alkyl, C.sub.1-2 alkoxy, fluoro or chloro, and m is 1, 2 or 3, with the provisos that both R.sub.5 and R.sub.5a must be hydrogen when R.sub.4 is hydrogen, R.sub.5a must be hydrogen when R.sub.5 is hydrogen, not more than one of R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 is trifluoromethyl, not more than one of R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 is phenoxy, and not more than one of R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 is benzyloxy, R.sub.2 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-3 alkyl, n-butyl, i-butyl, t-butyl, C.sub.3-6 cycloalkyl, C.sub.1-3 alkoxy, n-butoxy, i-butoxy, trifluoromethyl, fluoro, chloro, phenoxy or benzyloxy, R.sub.3 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-3 alkyl, C.sub.1-3 alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, fluoro, chloro, phenoxy or benzyloxy, with the provisos that R.sub.3 must be hydrogen when R.sub.2 is hydrogen, not more than one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is trifluoromethyl, not more than one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is phenoxy, and not more than one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is benzyloxy, X is --(CH.sub.2).sub.n -- or --CH.dbd.CH--, wherein n is 0, 1, 2 or 3, and Z is ##STR3## wherein R.sub.6 is hydrogen or C.sub.1-3 alkyl, and R.sub.7 is hydrogen, R.sub.7b or M, wherein R.sub.7b is a physiologically acceptable and hydrolyzable ester group, and M is a pharmaceutically acceptable cation, the use thereof for inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis and lowering the blood cholesterol level, and therefore, in the treatment of hyperliopoproteinemia and atherosclerosis, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and processes for and intermediates in the synthesis of such compounds.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.