with mmp activity application_number US 77841101 A description in accordance with this invention it has been found that certain aromatic sulfonyl u03b1 cycloamino hydroxamates are effective for inhibiting mmps associated with excessive or otherwise pathological breakdown of connective tissue in particular it has been found that these hydroxamates tend to be effective for inhibiting mmp 2 and mmp 13 which can be particularly destructive to tissue if present or generated in abnormally excessive quantities or concentrations moreover it has been discovered that these hydroxamates tend to be selective toward inhibiting mmp 2 and or mmp 13 as well as other mmps associated with pathological condition conditions and avoid excessive inhibition of other mmps particularly mmp 1 essential to normal bodily function e g tissue turnover and repair this is illustrated in example 3 below one embodiment of this invention is directed to an aromatic sulfonyl u03b1 cycloamino hydroxamate generally corresponding in structure to the following formula iv in formula iv r 2 preferably is hydrogen c 1 c 8 hydrocarbyl c 1 c 6 hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl c 1 c 4 hydrocarbyl aryl c 1 c 4 hydrocarbyl heteroaryl c 1 c 4 hydrocarbyl aryloxy c 1 c 4 hydrocarbyl or heteroaryloxy c 1 c 4 hydrocarbyl more preferably r 2 is hydrogen c 3 c 6 cyclohydrocarbyl t butoxycarbonyl phenethyl 2 propynyl or 3 methoxybenzyl also in formula iv r 1 preferably comprises a 5 or.