Abstract: A method for inhibiting the formation of osteoclasts comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a statin to a mammal in need thereof as well as pharmaceutical compositions, kits for containing such compositions comprising a statin or a method of treating or preventing a disease state selected from the group consisting of: osteoporosis, Paget's disease, osteolysis, hypercalcemia of malignancy, osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoarthritis, alveolar bone loss, side effects of immunosuppressive therapy, and side effects of chronic glucocorticoid use by inhibiting the formation of osteoclasts comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a statin to a mammal in need thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of inhibiting connective tissue degradation that comprises administering to a patient having a condition in which connective tissue is degraded a therapeutically effective amount of a compound having the formula where R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently hydrogen, hydroxy, halo, amino, nitro, C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C6 cycloalkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, CF3, CN, S(O)n—, R6 and R7 are independently hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, or acyl; n is 0 to 2; R8 is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl; W is S or O; Z is C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, or NR9R10; R9 and R10 are independently hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl; and R5 is where Y is hydroxy, thiol, amino, or NHCN; X is sulfur or oxygen; and Q is sulfur, oxygen, NH, or NCN, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof.

Abstract: The manufacture and use of compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein Y is O or S, R.sub.1 is hydrogen or alkyl, and R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are hydrogen or various substituent groups, and pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof. The compounds have activity as inhibitors of the IL-I or other agonist-induced proteoglycan degradation in bovine nasal cartilage and pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds are described to treat conditions advantageously affected by such inhibition including arthritis.