2-aryl-propionic acids and pharmaceutical compositions containing them

1. A method for the treatment of psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, melanoma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bollous pemphigo, idiopathic fibrosis, glomerulonephritis and for the treatment of damage caused by ischemia and reperfusion, which comprises:

administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a (R,S)-2-aryl-propionic acid compound of formula (I), or the single (R) or (S) enantiomer:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof,

wherein Ar is a phenyl ring substituted by:

a group in the 3 (meta) position selected from a linear or branched C 1 -C 5 alkyl, C 2 -C 5 -alkenyl or C 2 -C 5 -alkynyl group optionally substituted by C 1 -C 5 -alkoxycarbonyl, substituted or not-substituted phenyl, linear or branched C 1 -C 5 hydroxyalkyl, aryl-hydroxymethyl, or

a group in the 3 (meta) position selected from a linear or branched C 1 -C 5 alkyl group, optionally substituted by C 1 -C 5 -alkoxycarbonyl, substituted or not-substituted phenyl, linear or branched C 1 -C 5 hydroxyalkyl, aryl-hydroxymethyl, together with a substituent in the ortho or para position that comprises a benzene ring or a saturated or unsaturated, substituted or non-substituted bicycloaryl group; or

a group in the 4 (para) position selected from C 1 -C 5 -acyloxy, substituted or not-substituted benzoyloxy, C 1 -C 5 -acylamino, substituted or not-substituted benzoylamino, C 1 -C 5 -sulfonyloxy, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonyloxy, C 1 -C 5 -alkanesulfonylamino, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonylamino, C 1 -C 5 -alkanesulfonylmethyl, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonylmethyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, 2-furyl, 3-tetrahydrofuryl, 2-thiophenyl, 2-tetrahydrothiophenyl, C 1 -C 8 (alkanoyl)-C 1 -C 5 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 8 (cycloalkanoyl)-C 1 -C 5 -alkylamino or C 1 -C 8 (arylalkanoyl)-C 1 -C 5 -alkylamino; or

a group in the 2 (ortho) position selected from substituted or not-substituted arylmethyl, substituted or not-substituted aryloxy, or substituted or not-substituted arylamino, wherein the substituents of the aryl group are selected from C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, chlorine, fluorine and/or trifluoromethyl groups, with the exception of (R,S)-2-(2′-benzylphenyl)-propionic acid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein Ar is:

a phenyl ring 3-substituted by a group selected from: isoprop-1-en-1-yl, ethyl, isopropyl, pent-2-en-3-yl, pent-3-yl, 1-phenyl-ethylen-1-yl, α-methylbenzyl, α-hydroxybenzyl, α-hydroxyethyl, α-hydroxypropyl, or a bicyclic aryl group;

or Ar is a phenyl ring 4-substituted by a group selected from: trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy, 2-propanesulfonyloxy, benzylsulfonyloxy, benzenesulfonyloxy, 2′-ethylbenzenesulfonyloxy, 2′-chlorobenzenesulfonyloxy, methanesulfonylamino, trifluoromethanesulfonylamino, 2-propanesulfonylamino, benzylsulfonylamino, benzenesulfonylamino, 2′-ethylbenzenesulfonylamino, aminosulfonylmethyl, 2′-chlorobenzenesulfonylamino, trifluoromethanesulfonylmethyl, benzenesulfonylmethyl, aminosulfonyloxy, or aminosulfonylamino;

or Ar is a phenyl ring 2-substituted by a group selected from: 2-(2,6-dichloro-phenylamino)-phenyl, 2-(2,6-dichloro-phenyl-amino)-5-chloro-phenyl, 2-(2,6-dichloro-3-methyl-phenyl-amino)-phenyl, 2-(3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl-amino)-phenyl, 2-(2,6-dichloro-phenoxy)-phenyl, 2-(2-chloro-phenoxy)-phenyl, 2-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-phenyl, or 2-(2-chloro-benzyl)-phenyl.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of:

(R,S) 2-[3′-(alpha-ethyl-propyl)phenyl]propionic acid,

(R) 2-[3′-(alpha-ethyl-propyl)phenyl]propionic acid,

(S) 2-[3′-(alpha-ethyl-propyl)phenyl]propionic acid,

2-[3′-(alpha-hydroxy-ethyl)phenyl]propionic acid, and the single diastereoisomers thereof,

2-[3′-(alpha-hydroxy-propyl)phenyl]propionic acid and the single diastereoisomers thereof,

(R,S) 2-[3′-isopropylphenyl]propionic acid,

(R) 2-[3′-isopropylphenyl]propionic acid,

(S) 2-[3′-isopropylphenyl]propionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-benzenesulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-benzenesulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-[4′-(2″-ethyl)benzenesulfonyloxy]phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-[4′-(2″-ethyl)benzenesulfonyloxy]phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-[4′-(2″-chloro)phenylsulfonyloxy]phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-[4′(2″-chloro)phenylsulfonyloxy]phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-[4′-(2″-propane)sulfonyloxy]phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-[4′-(2″-propane)sulfonyloxy]phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-benzylsulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-benzylsulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-aminosulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-aminosulfonyloxy)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-trifluoromethanesulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-trifluoromethanesulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-methanesulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-methanesulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-[4′-(2″-propane)sulfonylamino]phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-[4′-(2″-propane)sulfonylamino]phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-benzenesulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-benzenesulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-[4′-(2″-ethyl)benzenesulfonylamino]phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-[4′-(2″-ethyl)benzenesulfonylamino]phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-[4′-(2″-chloro)benzenesulfonylamino]phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-[4′-(2″-chloro)benzenesulfonylamino]phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-benzylsulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-benzylsulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-aminosulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-aminosulfonylamino)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-trifluoromethanesulfonylmethyl)phenylpropionic acid,

(S) 2-(4′-trifluoromethanesulfonylmethyl)phenylpropionic acid,

(R) 2-(4′-benzenesulfonylmethyl)phenylpropionic acid, and

(S) 2-(4′-benzenesulfonylmethyl)phenylpropionic acid.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a (R,S)-2-aryl-propionic acid compound of formula (Ia) or the single (R) or (S) enantiomer

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Ar is a phenyl ring substituted in the 4 (para) position with a group selected from C 1 -C 5 -sulfonyloxy, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonyloxy, C 1 -C 5 -alkanesulfonylamino, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonylamino, C 1 -C 5 -alkanesulfonylmethyl, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonylmethyl.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said compound is in admixture with a suitable carrier thereof.

6. A method for inhibiting IL-8 induced chemotaxis of human polymorphonucleated neutrophils and contemporaneously not inhibiting cyclooxygenase activity in a subject, which comprises administering to said subject in need thereof an effective amount of a (R,S)-2-aryl-propionic acid compound of formula (I) or the single (R) and (S) enantiomer

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof,

wherein Ar is a phenyl ring substituted by:

a group in the 3 (meta) position selected from a linear or branched C 1 -C 5 alkyl, C 2 -C 5 -alkenyl or C 2 -C 5 -alkynyl group optionally substituted by C 1 -C 5 -alkoxycarbonyl, substituted or not-substituted phenyl, linear or branched C 1 -C 5 hydroxyalkyl, aryl-hydroxymethyl, or

a group in the 3 (meta) position selected from a linear or branched C 1 -C 5 alkyl group, optionally substituted by C 1 -C 5 -alkoxycarbonyl, substituted or not-substituted phenyl, linear or branched C 1 -C 5 hydroxyalkyl, aryl-hydroxymethyl, together with a substituent in the ortho or para position that comprises a benzene ring or a saturated or unsaturated, substituted or non-substituted bicycloaryl group; or

a group in the 4 (para) position selected from C 1 -C 5 -acyloxy, substituted or not-substituted benzoyloxy, C 1 -C 5 -acylamino, substituted or not-substituted benzoylamino, C 1 -C 5 -sulfonyloxy, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonyloxy, C 1 -C 5 -alkanesulfonylamino, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonylamino, C 1 -C 5 -alkanesulfonylmethyl, substituted or not-substituted benzenesulfonylmethyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, 2-furyl, 3-tetrahydrofuryl, 2-thiophenyl, 2-tetrahydrothiophenyl, C 1 -C 5 (alkanoyl)-C 1 -C 5 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 8 (cycloalkanoyl)-C 1 -C 5 -alkylamino or C 1 -C 8 (arylalkanoyl)-C 1 -C 5 -alkylamino; or

a group in the 2 (ortho) position selected from substituted or not-substituted arylmethyl, substituted or not-substituted aryloxy, or substituted or not-substituted acylamino, wherein the substituents of the aryl group are selected from C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, chlorine, fluorine and/or trifluoromethyl groups, with the exception of (R,S)-2-(2′-benzylphenyl)-propionic acid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound, enantiomer or pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound of formula (I) is one in which the Ar group is substituted at the 4 position by an acetyl-N-methyl-amino group or a pivaloyl-N-ethyl-amino group.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein Ar is a phenyl ring 3-substituted by a 3-methyl-indan-5-yl group, 3-methyl-indan-7-yl group, 8-methyl-tetrahydronaphth-2-yl group or a 5-methyl-tetrahydronaphth-1-yl group.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the compound, enantiomer or pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound of formula (I) is one in which the Ar group is substituted at the 4 position by an acetyl-N-methyl-amino group or a pivaloyl-N-ethyl-amino group.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein Ar is a phenyl ring 3-substituted by a 3-methyl-indan-5-yl group, 3-methyl-indan-7-yl group, 8-methyl-tetrahydronaphth-2-yl group or a 5-methyl-tetrahydronaphth-1-yl group.