Bicyclic sulfonamide compounds

1. A compound of the formula I

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:

ring B is

 in which D is a five-membered heterocyclic or heteroaryl ring, said ring comprising one or two atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen, with the proviso that when D contains an oxygen atom, D is heteroaryl;

W is —(CH);

P is

P and R 3 are bound to the same ring and are disposed in meta- or para-positions relative to each other;

R 1 is

(a) C 1-6 alkyl,

(b) C 1-6 alkoxyalkyl,

(c) straight or branched C 1-6 hydroxyalkyl,

(d) straight or branched C 1-6 alkylhalides; or

(e) a group Ar;

Ar is

(a) phenyl,

(b) 1-naphthyl,

(c) 2-naphthyl,

(d) benzyl,

(e) cinnamoyl,

(f) a 5 to 7-membered, optionally aromatic, partially saturated or completely saturated, heterocyclic ring containing 1 to 4 heteroatoms, selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, or

(g) a bicyclic ring system comprising at least one heterocyclic ring according to (f);

wherein the group Ar is substituted in one or more positions with

(a) H, X or Y, or

(b) a 5 to 7-membered, optionally aromatic, partially saturated or completely saturated, heterocyclic ring each containing 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur;

R 2 is

(a) H,

(b) C 1-6 alkyl,

(c) C 1-6 alkoxy,

(d) straight or branched C 1-6 hydroxyalkyl, or

(e) straight or branched C 1-6 alkylhalides;

or R 1 and R 2 are linked to form a group (CH 2 ) 4 O;

one of R 3 is a group

X and Y are independently

(a) H,

(b) halogen,

(c) C 1-6 alkyl,

(d) —CF 3 ,

(e) hydroxy,

(f) C 1-6 alkoxy,

(g) C 1-4 alkenyl,

(h) phenyl,

(i) phenoxy,

(j) benzyloxy,

(k) benzoyl,

(l) —OCF 3 ,

(m) —CN,

(n) straight or branched C 1-6 hydroxyalkyl,

(o) straight or branched C 1-6 alkylhalides,

(p) —NH 2 ,

(q) —NHR 4 ,

(r) —NR 4 R 5 ,

(s) —NO 2 ,

(t) —CONR 4 R 5 ,

(u) —NHSO 2 R 4 ,

(v) —NR 4 COR 5 ,

(x) —SO 2 NR 4 R 5 ,

(z) —C(═O)R 4 ,

(aa) —CO 2 R 4 ,

(ab) —S(O) n R 4 wherein n is 0, 1, 2 or 3,

(ac) —S—(C 1-6 )alkyl, or

(ad) —SCF 3 ;

R 4 and R 5 are independently

(a) H,

(b) C 1-6 alkyl,

(c) C 3-7 cycloalkyl, or

(d) Ar, as defined above for R 1 ;

alternatively, R 4 and R 5 are linked to form a group (CH 2 ) 2 O, (CH 2 ) 4 O or (CH 2 ) 3-5 ; and

R 6 is

(a) H, or

(b) straight of branched C 1-6 alkyl.

2. The compound according to claim 1 of the general formula VI

wherein R 3 , P, X and Y are as defined for formula (I) in claim 1 ; and wherein D is a five-membered heterocyclic or heteroaryl ring, said ring comprising one or two atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen, with the proviso that when D contains an oxygen atom, D is heteroaryl, and wherein when the heteroaryl ring comprises one or two nitrogen atoms, a group R 6 is attached at the secondary nitrogen, in which R 6 is as defined for formula (I) in claim 1 .

3. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein

R 1 is

(a) C 1-6 alkyl, or

(e) a group Ar;

Ar is

(a) phenyl,

(b) 1-naphthyl,

(c) 2-naphthyl, or

(f) a 5 to 7-membered, optionally aromatic, partially saturated or completely saturated, heterocyclic ring containing 1 to 4 heteroatoms, selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur;

wherein the group Ar is substituted in one or more positions with X or Y; wherein X or Y is

(a) H,

(b) halogen,

(c) C 1-6 alkyl,

(d) —CF 3 ,

(f) C 1-6 alkoxy,

(g) C 1-4 alkenyl,

(l) —OCF 3 , or

(n) straight or branched C 1-6 hydroxyalkyl;

R 2 is

(a) H, or

(b) C 1-3 alkyl;

or R 1 and R 2 are linked to form a group (CH 2 ) 4 O;

R 3 is

 wherein R 6 is

(a) H, or

(b) C 1-6 alkyl; and

D is pyrrolyl, thienyl or furanyl.

4. The compound of claim 3 , wherein R 6 is methyl.

5. The compound of claim 3 , wherein R 2 is methyl.

6. The compound according to claim 1 , which is the compound 3-Cyanophenyl-N-(7-piperazin-1-yl-benzofuran-5-yl)-benzenesulfonamide, hydrochloride, 4-Phenoxy-N-(7-piperazin-1-yl-benzofuran-5-yl)-benzenesulfonamide, hydrochloride,

1-Naphthyl-N-(7-piperazin-1-yl-benzofuran-5-yl)-benzenesulfonamide, hydrochloride, N-(7-Piperazin-1-yl-benzofuran-5-yl)-benzenesulfonamide, hydrochloride,

5-Chloro-3-methyl-benzo[b]thiophene-2-sulfonic acid (7-piperazin-1-yl-benzofuran-5-yl)-amide hydrochloride, or

N-[7-(4-Methylpiperazin-1-yl)-1-benzofuran-5-yl]-benzenesulfonamide, hydrochloride.

7. A pharmaceutical formulation containing a compound according to claim 1 as active ingredient, in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent or carrier.

8. A method for the treatment of obesity, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

9. A method for the treatment of obesity, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 2 .

10. A method for the treatment of obesity, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 6 .

11. A method for the treatment of type II diabetes, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

12. A method for the treatment of type II diabetes, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 2 .

13. A method for the treatment of type II diabetes, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 6 .

14. A method for the treatment of binge disorders, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

15. A method for the treatment of binge disorders, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 2 .

16. A method for the treatment of binge disorders, which comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound according to claim 6 .

17. A method for reducing body-weight or reducing food intake, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

18. A method for reducing body-weight or reducing food intake, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a compound according to claim 2 .

19. A method for reducing body-weight or reducing food intake, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a compound according to claim 6 .