A compound of the formula: and it pharmaceutically acceptable salt, wherein A is
hydrogen, hydroxy or OY, where Y is a hydroxy
protecting group; Ar is phenyl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from halo, hydroxy, C1-C4
alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy, CF3, C1-C4 alkyloxy, and carboxy-C1-C4 alkyloxy; X is phenyl, naphthyl,
biphenyl, indanyl, benzofuranyl, benzothiopheny, 1-
tetralone-6-yl, C1-C4 alkylenedioxy, pyridyl, furyl and thienyl, these groups optionally being substituted with up to three substituents selected from halo, C1-C4
alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy, hydroxy, NO2, CF3 and SO2CH3; and R is
hydrogen, C1-C4
alkyl or a hydroxy
protecting group. These compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing them are useful as
analgesic, antiinflammatory,
diuretic,
anesthetic or neuroprotective agents, or an agent for
stroke or treatment of functional bowel diseases such as
abdominal pain, for the treatment of a mammalian subject, especially a human subject. Further, the present invention provides processes for producing the hydroxamic compounds of formula (I) and their intermediate compounds of formula (II).