Pharmaceutical compositions comprising iron chelators for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and some novel iron chelators

A compound of formula I:

• wherein
• R1 is H or hydrocarbyl;
• R2 is a hydrophobic radical;
• R3 is a radical selected from 3-(C2-C6)acyl-4-hydroxyphenyl, 3-hydroxyimino(C2-C6)alkyl-4-hydroxyphenyl, or COOZ, wherein Z is H, (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl or ar(C1-C6)alkyl;
• and n is an integer from 1 to 20,
• excluding the compounds:
• N-[5-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)pentyl]-4,5-bis[(bis(benzyloxycarbonyl)methyl]amino]valeramide;
• N-(3-benzyloxycarbonylaminopropyl)-4,5-bis[di(methoxycarbonylmethyl)amino]valeramide;
• N-(3-benzyloxycarbonylaminopropyl)-4,5-bis[di(benzyloxycarbonylmethyl)amino]valeramide;
• and
• N-(benzyloxycarbonylaminoethyl)-4,5-bis[di(carboxylmethyl)amino]valeramide.

A compound of formula II:

• wherein
• R4 is (C1-C6)acyl, nitro(C1-C6)alkyl, cyano(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6)alkyl or —CH2NR7R8, wherein R7 and R8, the same or different, is each H or (C1-C6)alkyl, or together with the N atom form a saturated or unsaturated 5-7 membered ring optionally containing a further heteroatom selected from N, O or S, the further N atom in such saturated 5-7 membered ring being optionally substituted by (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C1-C6)-acyl, hydroxy-(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxycarbonyl, and 8-hydroxyquinolin-5-yl-(C1-C6)alkyl, and
• R5 is H and R6 is (C2-C6)-acyl or hydroxyimino(C2-C6)alkyl,
• excluding the compounds:
• 2-hydroxy-5-(dipropylaminomethyl)acetophenone;
• and
• 2-hydroxy-5-(dipropylaminomethyl)acetophenone oxime.