Compounds of the formula: wherein: n is0, 1 or 2; Y ishydroxy or XONH-, where X is hydrogen or lower alkyl; R1is hydrogen or lower alkyl; R2is hydrogen, lower alkyl, heteroalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, arylheteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaralkyl, heteroarylheteroalkyl, heterocyclo, heterocylo-lower alkyl, heterocyclo-lower heteroalkyl or -NR6R7, wherein: R6is hydrogen, lower alkyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl and heteroaralkyl; R7is hydrogen, lower alkyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaralkyl, -C(O)R8, -C(O)NR8R9, -SO2NR8R9, -SO2R10, aryloxycarbonyl, or alkoxycarbonyl; or R6and R7together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached represent a heterocyclo group; wherein R8and R9are independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaralkyl or heteroalkyl; and R10is lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaralkyl, heteroalkyl or heterocyclo; or R1and R2together with the carbon atom to which they are attached represent a cycloalkyl or heterocyclo group; R3ishydrogen, lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaralkyl, heteroalkyl or lower alkoxy; R4ishydrogen, lower alkyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl; or R2and R3together with the carbons to which they are attached represent a cycloalkyl or heterocyclo group; or R3and R4together with the carbon to which they are attached represent a cycloalkyl or heterocyclo group; and R5islower alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, or heteroaralkyl; or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or esters thereof exhibit useful pharmacological properties, in particular for use as matrix metalloprotease inhibitors, particularly for interstitial collagenases.