Method for treating fibrotic diseases and other indications

1. A compound of formula II:

wherein

a. R 1 and R 2 are

1. independently selected from hydrogen, acylamino, acyloxyalkyl, alkanoyl, alkanoylalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylamino, (C 1 –C 3 )alkylenedioxy, allyl, amino, ω-alkylenesulfonic acid, carbamoyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, dialkylamino, halo, hydroxy, (C 2 –C 6 )hydroxyalkyl, mercapto, nitro, sulfamoyl, sulfonic acid, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, alkylthio, trifluoromethyl, azetidin-1-yl, morpholin-4-yl, thiomorpholin-4-yl, piperidin-1-yl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperidin-1-yl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperazin-1-yl, Ar, wherein, consistent with the rules of aromaticity, Ar is C 6 or C 10 aryl or a 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl ring, wherein 6-membered heteroaryl ring contains one to three atoms of N, and the 5-membered heteroaryl ring contains from one to three atoms of N or one atom of O or S and zero to two atoms of N, each heteroaryl ring can be fused to a benzene, pyridine, pyrimidine, pyridazine, pyrazine, or (1,2,3)triazine (wherein the ring fusion is at a carbon-carbon double bond of Ar)}, Ar-alkyl, Ar—O, ArSO 2 —, ArSO—, ArS—, ArSO 2 NH—, ArNH, (N—Ar)(N-alkyl)N—, ArC(O)—, ArC(O)NH—, ArNH—C(O)—, and (N—Ar)(N-alkyl)N—C(O)—, or together R 1 and R 2 comprise methylenedioxy; or

2. together with their ring carbons form a C 6 - or C 10 -aromatic fused ring system; or

3. together with their ring carbons form a C 5 –C 7 fused cycloalkyl ring having up to two double bonds including any fused double bond of the oxazolium containing ring, which cycloalkyl ring can be substituted by one or more of the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aminocarbonyl, carboxy, fluoro, or oxo substituents; or

4. together with their ring carbons form a 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl ring, wherein the 6-membered heteroaryl ring contains one to three atoms of N, and the 5-membered heteroaryl ring contains from one to three atoms of N or one atom of O or S and zero to two atoms of N, each heteroaryl ring may be optionally substituted with one or more 1-pyrrolidinyl-, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperazin-1-yl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperidin-1-yl, azetidin-1-yl, morpholin-4-yl, thiomorpholin-4-yl, piperidin-1-yl, halo or (C 1 –C 3 )alkylenedioxy groups; or

5. together with their ring carbons form a five to eight membered heterocycle, wherein the heterocycle consists of ring atoms selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen, and S(O) n , where n=0,1, or 2;

b. Y* is a group of the formula —CH(R 5 )R 6 wherein

(a) R 5 is hydrogen, alkyl-, cycloalkyl-, alkenyl-, alkynyl-, aminoalkyl-, dialkylaminoalkyl-, (N-[C 6 or C 10 ]aryl)(N-alkyl)aminoalkyl-, piperidin-1-ylalkyl, 1-pyrrolidin-1-ylalkyl, azetidinylalkyl, 4-alkylpiperazin-1-ylalkyl, 4-alkylpiperidin-1-ylalkyl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperazin-1-ylalkyl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperidin-1-ylalkyl, azetidin-1-ylalkyl, morpholin-4-ylalkyl, thiomorpholin-4-ylalkyl, piperidin-1-ylalkyl, [C 6 or C 10 ]aryl, or independently the same as R 6 ;

(b) R 6 is

(1) cyano;

(2) a group of the formula —W—Rs, wherein W is —C(═O)— or —S(O) n — where n=1 or 2, and R S is a C 6 or C 10 aryl or a heterocycle containing 4–10 ring atoms of which 1–3 are heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur;

(3) a group of the formula —W—N(R 9 )R 10 , wherein

[a] R 9 is hydrogen and R 10 is an alkyl or cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by

(i) [C 6 or C 10 ]aryl, or

(ii) a 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl ring, wherein the 6-membered heteroaryl ring contains one to three atoms of N, and the 5-membered heteroaryl ring contains from one to three atoms of N or one atom of O or S and zero to two atoms of N, said heteroaryl ring can be optionally substituted with one or more 1-pyrrolidinyl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperazin-1-yl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperidin-1-yl, azetidin-1-yl, and morpholin-4-yl, thiomorpholin-4-yl, piperidin-1-yl halo or (C 1 –C 3 )alkylenedioxy groups, or fused to a phenyl or pyridine ring, wherein the ring fusion is at a carbon-carbon double bond of the heteroaryl ring, or

(iii) a heterocycle containing 4–10 ring atoms of which 1–3 are heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur; or

[b] R 9 is hydrogen or lower alkyl and R 10 is Ar; or

[c] R 9 is hydrogen or lower alkyl, and R 10 is a heterocycle containing 4–10 ring atoms of which 1–3 are heteroatoms are selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur; or

[d] R 9 and R 10 are both alkyl groups; or

[e] R 9 and R 10 together with N form a heterocycle containing 4–10 ring atoms which can incorporate up to one additional heteroatom selected from the group of N, O or S in the ring, wherein the heterocycle is optionally substituted with (C 6 -or C 10 )aryl, (C 6 -or C 10 )arylalkyl, or a 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl ring, wherein the 6-membered heteroaryl ring contains one to three atoms of N, and the 5-membered heteroaryl ring contains from one to three atoms of N or one atom of O or S and zero to two atoms of N, each such heteroaryl can be optionally substituted with one or more 1-pyrrolidinyl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperazin-1-yl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperidin-1-yl, azetidin-1-yl, morpholin-4-yl, thiomorpholin-4-yl, piperidin-1-yl, halo or (C–C 3 )alkylenedioxy; or

[f]R 9 and R 10 are both hydrogen; and

c. X is a pharmaceutically acceptable anion, or

a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound of formula II,

wherein aryl or Ar can be substituted with, in addition to any substitutions specifically noted, one or more general substituents selected from the group consisting of acylamino, acyloxyalkyl, alkanoyl, alkanoylalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylamino, (C 1 –C 3 )alkylenedioxy, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, ω-alkylenesulfonic acid, alkylthio, allyl, amino, ArC(O)—, ArC(O)NH—, ArO—, Ar—, Ar-alkyl-, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, dialkylamino, halo, trifluoromethyl, hydroxy, (C 2 –C 6 )hydroxyalkyl, mercapto, nitro, sulfamoyl, sulfonic acid, 1-pyrrolidinyl, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperazin-1-yl-, 4-[C 6 or C 10 ]arylpiperidin-1-yl, azetidin-1-yl, morpholin-4-yl, thiomorpholin-4-yl, piperidin-1-yl;

wherein heterocycles, except those of Ar, can be substituted with, in addition to any substitutions specifically noted, the following general substitutions: acylamino, alkanoyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylamino, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, alkylthio, amino, ArC(O)—, ArO—, Ar—, carboxy, dialkylamino, fluoro, fluoroalkyl, difluoroalkyl, hydroxy, mercapto, sulfamoyl, or trifluoromethyl;

wherein the compound of formula II is not from a salt of 3-[2-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-oxoethyl]-oxazolium.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein Y* is —CH(R 5 )—W—R S .

3. The compound of claim 1 ,wherein R 1 and R 2 together with their ring carbons form a C 6 - or C 10 - aromatic fused ring which can be substituted by one or more halo, amino, alkyl, sulfonic acid, alkylsulfonyl or ω-alkylenesulfonic acid groups, or a C 1 –C 3 alkylenedioxy group.

4. The compound of claim 1 ,wherein Ar is C 6 or C 10 aryl.

5. The compound of of formula II:

wherein

a. R 1 and R 2 are

1. independently selected from hydrogen, acylamino, acyloxyalkyl, alkanoyl, alkanoylalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, (C 1 –C 3 )alkylenedioxy, allyl, ω-alkylenesulfonic acid, carbamoyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, halo, hydroxy, (C 2 –C 6 )hydroxyalkyl, mercapto, nitro, sulfamoyl, sulfonic acid, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, alkylthio, trifluoromethyl;

b. Y is a group of the formula —CH(R 5 )—R 6 wherein

(a) R 5 is alkyl;

(b) R 6 is R T , wherein R T is C 6 or C 10 aryl; and

c. X is

a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound, formula II,

wherein aryl is optionally substituted with one or more substitutions selected fom the group consisting of acylamino, acyloxyalkyl, alkanoyl, alkanoylalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, (C 1 –C 3 )alkylenedioxy, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, ω-alkylenesulfonic acid, alkylthio, allyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, halo, trifluoromethyl, hydroxy, (C 2 –C 6 )hydroxyalkyl, mercapto, nitro, sulfamoyl, and sulfonic acid.

6. The compound of claim 5 , wherein R T is C 6 aryl.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are hydrogen.

8. A pharmaceutical composition comprising: a compound of one of claims 1 to 6 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.