The 5-benzylthiazolidine-2,4-dione moiety of insulin sensitising antid
iabetic agents can be replaced by a range of alpha-heteroatom function
alised beta-phenylpropanoic acids. alpha-Oxy-carboxylic acids show pot
ent antidiabetic activity and one compound, the alpha-ethoxyacid 15 (S
E 213068), is one of the mast potent antihyperglycaemic agents yet rep
orted. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd