4-substituted alkyl carbapenem antibiotics

A compound of the formula

• wherein
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-2 alkyl, --CH.sub.2 OH, --CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2, ##STR687## A is an unsubstituted or hydroxy-substituted straight or branched C.sub.1-10 alkylene group or a straight or branched C.sub.1-10 alkylene group having an intervening heteroatom selected from oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen;
• R.sup.2 is hydroxy, halogen, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, nitrile, azido, a quaternary ammonio group, --NR.sup.5 R.sup.6, ##STR688## azetidinyl, or a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group selected from heteroaromatic and heteroalicyclic joined through a carbon atom thereof;
• B is a straight or branched C.sub.1-6 alkylene group or a direct bond when R.sup.3 is joined to the sulfur atom through a carbon atom thereof;
• R.sup.3 is a residue of an organic group;
• R.sup.4 is hydrogen, a removable carboxy-protecting group or a physiologically hydrolyzable ester group;
• R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each are independently hydrogen, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, hydroxyethyl, azidoethyl, aminoethyl, and when R.sup.5 is hydrogen or C.sub.1-4 alkyl, R.sup.6 is hydroxy, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, amino, C.sub.1-4 alkylamino, di(C.sub.1-4)-alkylamino, substituted C.sub.1-4 alkyl wherein said alkyl substituent is selected from hydroxy, azido, amino, guanidino, nitrile, carboxy, formimidoyl and phenyl, or an acyl residue of an amino acid or peptide;
• or R.sup.5 and R.sup.6, taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, is an unsubstituted or substituted heterocyclic group having 1 to 2 ring members and having up to four heteroatoms in each ring independently selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, wherein said substituent is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-4 alkyl, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, hydroxy, halogen, amino, nitrile, carboxy, formimidoyl, carbamido, carbamoyl, C.sub.1-4 alkylamino and amino(C.sub.1-4)alkyl;
• W is a direct bond, oxygen, sulfur or NR.sup.10 ;
• Y is oxygen or NR.sup.10 ;
• Z is hydrogen, hydroxy, C.sub.1-4 alkyl, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, --NR.sup.7 R.sup.8, amino(C.sub.1-4)alkyl, azido(C.sub.1-4)alkyl or hydroxy(C.sub.1-4)alkyl;
• R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 each are independently hydrogen, C.sub.1-4 alkyl, hydroxy, benzyloxy or alkanoyl;
• and
• R.sup.10 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-4 alkyl, C.sub.1-4 alkylamino or di(C.sub.1-4)alkylamino;
• or a non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.