A stable di-esterified carboxylic acid with hydroxy compound (b) is a pharmaceutically acceptable chelating agent for divalent metal ions and has the formula (HOOC-CH2-)2-N-A-N-(-CH2COOH)2 wherein: A is optionally saturated aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic linking radical containing, in a direct chain link between the two depicted nitrogen atoms, 2-8 carbon atoms in a continuous chain which may be interrupted by 2-4 oxygen atoms, provided that the chain members directly connected to the two depicted nitrogen atoms are not oxygen atoms, and (b) is a pharmaceutically acceptable alcohol selected from the group of straight chain or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl, aminoalkyl and substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl radicals. The diesters are useful for treating a condition or disease related to an excess of divalent metal ions such as brain or cardiac ischemia, stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease or cardiac arrhythmia.
Lipophilic diesters of 1,2-bis(2-amino-phenoxy)ethane-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid