Methods and compositions for treating amyloid-related diseases

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle and an effective amount of a compound of Formula III:

• wherein:
• A is oxygen and R11 is hydrogen, a salt-forming cation, an ester forming group or —(CH2)x-Q, or
• A is nitrogen and A and R11 taken together are a natural or unnatural amino acid or a salt thereof;
• Q is hydrogen, thiazolyl, triazolyl, imidazolyl, benzothiazolyl, or benzoimidazolyl;
• x is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10;
• R3, R3a, R4, R4a, R5, R5a, R6, R6a, R7 and R7a are hydrogen, alkyl, mercaptoalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, cyano, halogen, amino, tetrazolyl, or two R groups on adjacent ring atoms taken together with the ring atoms form a double bond, provided that R4 or R7 is a moiety of Formula IIIa:
• wherein:
• m is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• RA, RB, RC, RD, and RE are independently selected from a group of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, alkoxyl, halogenated alkyl, mercaptoalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, cyano, thiazolyl, triazolyl, imidazolyl, tetrazolyl, benzothiazolyl, and benzoimidazolyl;
• or
• R3a, R4, R4a, R5, R5a, R6, R6a, R7 and R7a are hydrogen, and R3 is a moiety of Formula IIIa;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, provided that said compound is not 3-(4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-1-pyridyl)-1-propanesulfonic acid.