Glaxo Laboratories Limited

Edward McKenzie Wilson

Brian Edgar Looker

Derek H Barton

Alan Gibson Long

William George Underwood

Adrian Charles Curran

William G Elphinstone

Novel semisynthetic .beta.-lactam intermediates of use in the production of cephalosporins, penicillins and related .beta.-lactam antibiotic compounds are provided. The novel compounds are prepared from .beta.-lactams obtained by cleavage of the 1,2-sulphur-carbon bond of a penicillin 1-oxide (with subsequent internal or external trapping of the sulphur atom to leave a residual substituent as the .beta.-lactam nitrogen) by removal of the said residual substituent by an oxidative cleavage reaction.

Chemical compounds

Protection of the amino group of a 7.beta.-aminoceph-4-carboxylic acid or derivative thereof while at least one reaction is being carried out to introduce a desired group at at least one of the positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 by first converting the amino group to a formamido group and then regenerating the amino group after the desired group has been introduced. Novel intermediates may be produced which are compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein R is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl and Z is --O--, --S--, ##STR2## or salts or esters thereof.

Formamido cephalosporin compounds

Certain thiazolo azetidinone compounds

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Edward McKenzie Wilson