Novel antibacterial agents and potentiators of carbapenem antibiotics

Claim 1

A compound of the formula: ##STR53## wherein: R 1 is H, CH 3 ; R 5 is (a) hydrogen, (b) C 1 -C 12 linear or branched alkyl; (c) C 2 -C 12 linear or branched monoalkenyl; (d) C 7 -C 20 aralkyl, wherein the alkyl chain is linear or branched C 1 -C 8 ; (e) heterocyclylalkyl, wherein the alkyl chain is linear or branched C 1 -C 8 and the heterocyclyl ring is 5-6 membered, optionally fused with a benzene ring, fully aromatic, containing 1-2 O, N or S heteroatoms; wherein said above values for R 5 can be substituted by one or more: halo, hydroxy, carboxy, C 1 -C 4 alkoxycarbonyl, C 7 -C 16 arylalkoxycarbonyl, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 6 -C 12 aryloxy, amino, mono- or di-C 1 -C 8 alkylamino, thio, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, C 6 -C 12 arylthio, C 7 -C 16 aralkylthio, or the radical --S--(CH 2 ) n --CH(NH 2 )COOH, where n=1-2; with the proviso that R 5 is at least C 2 alkyl if substituted by one of the above-defined thio groups, and wherein the aryl or aromatic heterocyclyl rings can be further substituted by C 1 -C 4 linear or branched alkyl, trihalomethyl, nitro, cyano, halo, or sulfonamido; R 3 and R 4 are hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 6 -C 12 aryl or C 7 -C 16 aralkyl; and including stereoisomers and racemates thereof.