Macular degeneration, closed head injury, stroke, irritable bowel disease, and reperfusion injury are all associated with biological injury due to reactive oxygen species, probably due to focal iron overload in many instances. The present invention provides methods and pharmaceutical compositions for treating these diseases and conditions using desferrithiocin analogs of Formula (I). In certain embodiments, the analogs include a polyether moiety at the 4 '-position of the phenyl ring of the compound.