Florfenicol-type antibiotics

1. A compound having the chemical formula:

wherein R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (1C-4C)alkyl, halo, —CF 3 , —NH 2 , —CN and N 3 ;

wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein A 1 is carbon or nitrogen, and carbon atoms in the ring are independently substituted with an entity selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (1C-4C) alkyl, (3C-6C)cycloalkyl, (1C-4C)alkylO—, —CF 3 , —OH, —CN, halo, (1C-4C)alkylSO—, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 —, NH 2 SO 2 —, (1C-4C)alkylNHSO 2 —, ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 NSO 2 —, —NH 2 , (1C-4C)alkylNH—, ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 N—, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 NH—, (1C-4C)alkylC(O)—, (3C-6C)cycloalkylC(O)—, (1C-4C)alkylOC(O)—, (1C-4C)alkylC(O)NH—, —C(O)NH 2 , (1C-4C)alkylNHC(O)— and ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 NC(O)—, wherein any of the alkyl groups within the substituents may be unsubstituted or substituted with a group selected from halo and hydroxy;

wherein A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , an A 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, provided that at least one of A 1 -A 5 is not carbon, that the total number of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur atoms in the ring does not exceed 4 and that the ring is aromatic; and wherein if A 1 is carbon and the ring does not contain oxygen or sulfur, one of the nitrogen atoms may optionally be substituted with an entity selected from the group consisting of (1C-4C)alkyl, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 — and —NH 2 ; and

wherein A 6 , A 7 , A 8 , A 9 and A 10 are independently selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen and

 provided that only one of A 6 -A 10 at a time can be

 and that one, two, or three of the A 6 -A 10 atoms are nitrogen; and wherein the carbon atoms in the ring are independently substituted with an entity selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (1C-4C)alkyl, (3C-6C)cycloalkyl, (1C-4C)alkylO—, —CF 3 , —OH, —CN, halo, (1C-4C)alkylSO—, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 —, NH 2 SO 2 —, (1C-4C)alkylNHSO 2 —, ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 NSO 2 —, —NH 2 , (1C-4C)alkylNH—, ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 N—, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 NH—, (1C-4C)alkylC(O)—, (3C-6C)cycloalkylC(O)—, (1C-4C)alkylOC(O)—, (1C-4C)alkylC(O)NH—, —C(O)NH 2 , (1C-4C)alkylNHC(O)—, ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 NC(O)— and —OCH 2 O—, wherein the oxygen atoms with the —OCH 2 O— substituent being bonded to adjacent ring carbon atoms, and wherein any of the alkyl groups within any of the substituents may be unsubstituted or substituted with a group selected from halo and hydroxy; and

wherein R 8 is hydrogen in all compounds, except when R 2 and R 3 are both F, in which case R 8 is hydrogen or F; and, the compound is either a racemate having the relative stereochemistry shown or is substantially enantiomerically pure and has the absolute stereochemistry shown.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of Cl and F; and wherein R 8 is hydrogen.

3. The compound of claim 2 , wherein:

R 4 is

and,

wherein any of A 6 -A 10 that is a carbon atom is substituted with an entity selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —NH 2 , halo—, —CN, (1C-4C)alkyl—, (1C-4C)alkylC(O)—, (1C-4C)alkylSO—, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 , NH 2 SO 2 —, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 NH—, (1C-4C)alkylNHSO 2 —, ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 NSO 2 —, wherein any of the alkyl groups within any of the substituents may be unsubstituted or substituted with halo or hydroxy.

4. The compound of claim 2 , wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of:

5. The compound of claim 2 wherein R 4 is

6. The compound of claim 5 wherein all carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms are unsubstituted.

7. The compound of claim 5 , wherein one of the A 2 -A 5 atoms that is carbon is substituted with an —NH 2 group, and all other carbon and nitrogen atoms in the ring are unsubstituted.

8. The compound of claim 5 , wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of:

9. The compound of claim 2 selected from the group consisting of:

wherein the compound is either a racemate having the relative stereochemistry shown or is substantially enantiomerically pure and has the absolute stereochemistry shown.

10. The compound of claim 9 selected from the group consisting of:

wherein the compound is either a racemate having the relative stereochemistry shown or is substantially enantiomerically pure and has the absolute stereochemistry shown.

11. The compound of claim 1 , wherein:

R 4 is

and, wherein any of A 6 -A 10 that is a carbon atom is substituted with an entity selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —NH 2 , halo—, —CN, (1C-4C)alkyl—, (1C-4C)alkylC(O)—, (1C-4C)alkylSO—, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 , NH 2 SO 2 —, (1C-4C)alkylSO 2 NH—, (1C-4C)alkylNHSO 2 —, ((1C-4C)alkyl) 2 NSO 2 —, wherein any of the alkyl groups within any of the substituents may be unsubstituted or substituted with halo or hydroxy.

12. The compound of claim 1 , wherein:

R 4 is

wherein any of A 6 -A 10 that are carbon atoms are optionally substituted with —NH 2 , and wherein all remaining A 6 -A 10 carbon atoms are unsubstituted.

13. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of:

14. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 4 is

15. The compound of claim 14 , wherein all carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms are unsubstituted.

16. The compound of claim 14 , wherein one of the A 2 -A 5 atoms that is carbon is substituted with an —NH 2 group, and all other carbon and nitrogen atoms in the ring are unsubstituted.

17. The compound of claim 14 , wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of:

18. The compound of claim 1 , selected from the group consisting of:

wherein the compound is either a racemate having the relative stereochemistry shown or is substantially enantiomerically pure and has the absolute stereochemistry shown.

19. A compound having the chemical formula:

20. The compound of claim 19 , wherein the compound is a racemate having the relative stereochemistry shown.

21. The compound of claim 19 , wherein the compound is substantially enantiomerically pure and has a 1-(R)-2-(S) absolute configuration.

22. A method of treating a bacterial infection in a patient, comprising administering to the patient a pharmaceutically effective amount of the compound of claim 1 .

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the bacterial infection is caused by a bacteria of the genus Pasteurella, Haemophilus, Fusobacterium, Bactericides, Aeromonas, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Shigella, Actinobacillus, Streptococcus, Mycoplasma, Edwardsiella, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Bordetella, Proteus, or Munnheimia.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the bacterial infection is caused by Munnheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Haemophilus somnus, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Bactericides melaninogenicus, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Streptococcus suis, Salmonella cholerasuis, Mycoplasma bovis, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyorhinis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Edwardsiella ictaluri, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus intermedius, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus mirabilis , or Aeromonas salmonicida.

25. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 1 or a physiological acceptable salt thereof and a physiologically acceptable carrier.

26. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 19 or a physiological acceptable salt thereof and a physiologically acceptable carrier.

27. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 2 or a physiological acceptable salt thereof and a physiologically acceptable carrier.