Arylsufonamido-substituted hydroxamic acids

A method of inhibiting macrophage metalloelastase activity, of inhibiting the degradation of elastin, or of treating macrophage metalloelastase dependent conditions in mammals which comprises administering to a mammal in need thereof an effective macrophage metalloelastase inhibiting amount of a compound of formula I ##STR13## (a) wherein Ar is carbocyclic or heterocyclic aryl;

• R is hydrogen, lower alkyl, carbocyclic aryl-lower alkyl, carbocyclic aryl, heterocyclic aryl, biaryl, biaryl-lower alkyl, heterocyclic aryl-lower alkyl, mono- or poly-halo-lower alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 -cycloalkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 -cycloalkyl-lower alkyl, (oxa or thia)-C.sub.3 -.sub.6 -cycloalkyl, [(oxa or thia)-C.sub.3 -.sub.6 -cycloalkyl]-lower alkyl, hydroxy-lower alkyl, acyloxy-lower alkyl, lower alkoxy-lower alkyl, lower alkyl-(thio, sulfinyl or sulfonyl)-lower alkyl, (amino, mono- or di-lower alkylamino)-lower alkyl, acylamino-lower alkyl, (N-lower alkyl-piperazino or N-carbocyclic or heterocyclic aryl-lower alkylpiperazino)-lower alkyl, or (morpholino, thiomorpholino, piperidino, pyrrolidino, piperidyl or N-lower alkylpiperidyl)-lower alkyl;
• R.sub.1 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, carbocyclic aryl-lower alkyl, carbocyclic aryl, heterocyclic aryl, biaryl, biaryl-lower alkyl, heterocyclic aryl-lower alkyl, mono- or poly-halo-lower alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.10 -cycloalkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 -cycloalkyl-lower alkyl, hydroxy-lower alkyl, acyloxy-lower alkyl, lower alkoxy-lower alkyl, (carbocyclic or heterocyclic aryl)-lower alkoxy-lower alkyl, lower alkyl-(thio, sulfinyl or sulfonyl)-lower alkyl, (amino, mono- or di-lower alkylamino)-lower alkyl, (N-lower alkyl-piperazino or N-carbocyclic or heterocyclic aryl-lower alkylpiperazino)-lower alkyl, (morpholino, thiomorpholino, piperidino, pyrrolidino, piperidyl, N-acyl or N-lower alkylpiperidyl)-lower alkyl, acylamino-lower alkyl, piperidyl, (morpholino, thiomorpholino, piperidino, pyrrolidino, piperidyl, N-acyl or N-lower alkylpiperidyl)-(hydroxy or lower alkoxy) lower alkyl, pyrrolidinyl, hexahydroazepinyl, N-lower alkyl or N-acyl(hexahydroazepinyl, piperidyl or pyrrolidinyl), C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 -oxacycloalkyl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 -thiacycloalkyl, (hydroxy- or oxo-) C.sub.5 C.sub.10 -cycloalkyl, (hydroxy- or oxo-) C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 -thiacycloalkyl, (hydroxy- or oxo-) C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 -oxacycloalkyl, (amino, mono- or dialkylamino or acylamino)-C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 -cycloalkyl, 2-oxo(pyrrolidinyl, piperidyl or hexahydroazepinyl);
• R.sub.2 is hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable prodrug derivative thereof;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.