Compounds and their use

1. A compound of the formula (I):

wherein

R 1 is selected from H, C 1-4 alkyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-cyanoethyl, and tetrahydropyran-2-yl;

R 2 and R 3 each, independently, represent H or CH 3 ;

R 4 is selected from O—R 5 , NH—R 5 or S—R 5 , wherein

R 5 is selected from aryl, aryl-C 1-6 -alkyl, aryloxy-C 2-6 -alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl-C 1-6 -alkyl, heteroaryloxy-C 2-6 -alkyl, C 3-6 -cycloalkyl, C 3-6 -cycloalkyl-C 1-4 -alkyl, C 1-6 -alkyl, 2-tetrahydrofuryl, 3-tetrahydrofuryl, 2-tetrahydrofurfuryl, 3-tetrahydrofurfuryl, piperidine-4-yl, tetrahydropyran-4-yl, C 3-6 -alkynyl, C 3-6 -alkenyl, or fluoro-C 2-4 -alkyl;

and wherein any aryl or heteroaryl residue, alone or as part of another group, may be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more of C 1-4 -alkyl, C 1-4 -alkoxy, C 1-4 -alkylthio, C 2-4 -acyl, C 1-4 -alkylsulphonyl, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, C 2-6 -alkenyl, C 2-6 -alkynyl, fluoromethyl, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, halogen, —N(R 6 )(R 7 ), aryl, aryloxy, arylthio, aryl-C 1-4 -alkyl, aryl-C 2-4 -alkenyl, aryl-C 2-4 -alkynyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy, heteroarylthio, heteroaryl-C 1-4 -alkyl, aryl-C 1-4 -alkoxy, aryloxy-C 1-4 -alkyl, or dimethylamino-C 2-4 -alkoxy, wherein

R 6 and R 7 are, independently of each other, hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; or form a pyrrolidine, piperazine, morpholine, thiomorpholine or a piperidine ring together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound;

and wherein any aryl or heteroaryl residue as substituents on aryl or heteroaryl, alone or as part of another group, in turn may be substituted in one or more positions independently of each other by C 1-4 -alkyl, C 1-4 -alkoxy, halogen, trifluoromethyl, cyano, hydroxy or dimethylamino;

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates, geometrical isomers, tautomers, optical isomers, and N-oxides thereof.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 4 is selected from O—R 5 and S—R 5 .

4. The compound of claim 3 , wherein R 5 is selected from aryl-C 1-6 -alkyl, aryloxy-C 2-6 -alkyl, heteroaryl-C 1-6 -alkyl, heteroaryloxy-C 2-6 -alkyl, C 3-6 -cycloalkyl, C 3-6 -cycloalkyl-C 1-4 -alkyl, C 1-6 -alkyl, 2-tetrahydrofurfuryl, and wherein any aryl or heteroaryl residue, alone or as part of another group, may be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more of C 1-4 -alkyl, C 1-4 -alkoxy, cyano, halogen, or aryloxy-C 1-4 -alkyl.

5. The compound of claim 4 , wherein R 5 is selected from benzyl, 2-chlorobenzyl, 3-cyanobenzyl, 2-cyclohexylethyl, cyclopentyl, 2-cyclopentylethyl, 2,3-difluorobenzyl, 2,6-difluorobenzyl, 2-(2,6-difluorophenoxy)ethyl, 2,3-dihydrobenzo[1,4]dioxin-6-ylmethyl, ethyl, 5-fluoro-2-methoxybenzyl, furan-2-ylmethyl, methyl, α-methylbenzyl, 3-methylbenzyl, 2-(naphthalene-2-yloxy)ethyl, 2-phenoxyethyl, 2-phenoxymethylbenzyl, n-propyl, 3-(pyridin-3-yl)-n-propyl, 2-(8-quinolinyloxy)ethyl, tetrahydrofuran-2-ylmethyl, or 3-thienylmethyl.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the carbon atom, to which R 2 is attached, has the (S)-configuration when R 2 is methyl and R 1 and R 3 both are hydrogen.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the carbon atom, to which R 3 is attached, has the (R)-configuration when R 3 is methyl and R 1 and R 2 both are hydrogen.

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is:

1-[6-(2-Phenoxy-ethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2,3-Dihydro-benzo[1,4]dioxin-6-ylmethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(Thiophen-3-ylmethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

3-(6-Piperazin-1-yl-3-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yloxymethyl)-benzonitrile, acetate;

1-[6-(3-Methyl-benzylsulfanyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2-Chloro-benzylsulfanyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2,3-Difluoro-benzyloxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Ethylsulfanyl-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Propoxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Cyclopentyloxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(1-Phenyl-ethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

8-[2-(6-Piperazin-1-yl-3-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yloxy)-ethoxy]-quinoline, acetate;

1-[6-(2,6-Difluoro-benzyloxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(3-{Pyridin-3-yl}propoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Benzyloxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(Furan-2-ylmethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-{6-[2-(2,6-Difluoro-phenoxy)-ethoxy]-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl}-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2-Chloro-benzylsulfanyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-2-(R)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Ethylsulfanyl-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-3-(S)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Ethylsulfanyl-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-3-(R)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Ethylsulfanyl-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2-(R)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Benzyloxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-3-(S)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Benzyloxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-3-(R)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Benzyloxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2-(R)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Benzyloxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-2-(S)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-(6-Methoxy-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl)-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(5-Fluoro-2-methoxy-benzyloxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-{6-[2-(Naphthalen-2-yloxy)-ethoxy]-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl}-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2-Chloro-benzylsulfanyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-3-(S)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2-Chloro-benzylsulfanyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-2-(S)-methyl-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2-Phenoxymethyl-benzyloxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-Tetrahydro-furan-2-ylmethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate;

1-[6-(2-Cyclopentyl-ethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate; or

1-[6-(2-Cyclohexyl-ethoxy)-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridin-2-yl]-piperazine, acetate.

9. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

10. A method for the treatment of a disorder or condition selected from anxiety disorders; epilepsy; urinary incontinence; and menopausal and post-menopausal hot flushes in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of formula (I) of claim 1 .

11. A method for the treatment of obesity in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a compound of formula (I) of claim 1 .

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the subject is a human.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the subject is an animal.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the subject is an animal.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the subject is a human.

16. A method for preparing a pharmaceutical composition, the method comprising combining a compound of formula (I) of claim 1 with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

17. A method of making a compound of formula (I) of claim 1 , by reacting a compound of the following formula (II):

wherein Hal is halogen;

with an appropriate piperazine derivative of formula (III):

wherein

R 1 is H or C 1-4 alkyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-cyanoethyl, or tetrahydropyran-2-yl; and

R 2 and R 3 each, independently, represent H or CH 3 ;

to produce a compound of formula (IV)

wherein

R 1 , R 2 and R 3 have meaning as in formula (III); and

Hal is halogen;

and reacting the compound of formula (IV) with an appropriate alcohol, amine or thiol, as defined by O—R 5 , NH—R 5 or S—R 5 , or its corresponding anions, thereby making a compound of formula (I) of claim 1 .

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the disorder or condition is selected from urinary incontinence.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the disorder or condition is selected from menopausal and post-menopausal hot flushes.