6,11-bicyclic erythromycin derivatives

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A first embodiment of the present invention is a compound of formula I as defined herein, or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, or prodrug.
Representative subgenera of the present invention are: A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula II: ##STR00005## where A, B, Q, R.
sub.
2', W, and Z are as previously defined; A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula III: ##STR00006## where A, B, Q, R.
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2', and Z are as previously defined; A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula IV: ##STR00007## where A, B, Q, R.
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2', and R.
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4'' are as previously defined; A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula V: ##STR00008## where A, B, Q, and R.
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2' are as previously defined; A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula VI: ##STR00009## where Ar.
sub.
1, Ar.
sub.
2, M, Q, R.
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2', W, and Z are as previously defined; A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula VII: ##STR00010## where Ar.
sub.
1, Ar.
sub.
2, M, Q, R.
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2', and Z are as previously defined; A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula VIII: ##STR00011## where Ar.
sub.
1, Ar.
sub.
2, M, R.
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2', and Z are as previously defined; A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula IX: ##STR00012## where Ar.
sub.
1, Ar.
sub.
2, M, Q, R.
sub.
2', and R.
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4'' are as previously defined; and A compound according to claim 1, which is represented by formula X: ##STR00013## where Ar.
sub.
1, Ar.
sub.
2, M, Q, and R.
sub.
2' are as previously defined.
Representative compounds according to the invention are those selected from: 1) Compound of formula IV: A and B taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached=C.
dbd.
CH.
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2, Q=OH, R.
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2' is H, and R.
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4''=Ac; 2) Compound of formula IV: A and B taken together with the carbon atom to which are attached=C.
dbd.
CH.
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2, Q=H, R.
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2=H, and R.
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4''=Ac; 3) Compound of formula V: A and B taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached=C