Heterocyclylalkylpiperidine derivatives, their preparation and compositions containing them

1. A compound of formula (III)

wherein:

X 1 is >C—R′ 1 ;

X 2 is >C—R′ 2 ;

X 3 is >C—R′ 3 ;

X 4 is >C—R′ 4 ;

X 5 is >C—F;

 and, optionally, one of X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , and X 4 is a nitrogen atom;

R 1 represents an alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl, phenylthio, mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl or heterocyclylthio, hydroxyl, alkyloxy, trifluoromethoxy, alkylthio, trifluoromethylthio, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkylthio, cyano, carboxyl, alkyloxycarbonyl, cycloalkyloxycarbonyl, —NRaRb or —CONRaRb radical

 for which Ra and Rb are independently hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl, mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl, or Ra and Rb form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a 5- or 6-membered heterocycle which can optionally contain an additional heteroatom chosen from O, S and N and, when the additional heteroatom is N, the additional heteroatom optionally is substituted with an alkyl, phenyl or mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl substituent and, when the additional heteroatom is S, the additional heteroatom optionally is sulfinyl or sulfonyl,

or R 1 represents a methylene radical substituted with fluoro, hydroxyl, alkyloxy, alkylthio, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkylthio, phenyl, mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl, carboxyl, alkyloxycarbonyl, cycloalkyloxycarbonyl, —NRaRb or —CONRaRb

 for which Ra and Rb are defined as above, and are additionally chosen from phenoxy, heterocyclyloxy, benzyloxy, and heterocyclylmethyloxy,

or R 1 can also represent difluoromethoxy, or a radical of structure —C m F 2m+1 , —SC m F 2m+1 , or —OC m F 2m+1 , wherein m is an integer from 1 to 6;

R′ 1 , R′ 2 , R′ 3 , and R′ 4 are identical or different, and each independently is:

a hydrogen or halogen atom or an alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl, phenylthio, mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl or heterocyclylthio, hydroxyl, alkyloxy, trifluoromethoxy, alkylthio, trifluoromethylthio, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkylthio, cyano, carboxyl, alkyloxycarbonyl, cycloalkyloxycarbonyl, —NRaRb or —CONRaRb radical

 for which Ra and Rb are independently hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl, mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl, or Ra and Rb form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a 5- or 6-membered heterocycle which can optionally contain an additional heteroatom chosen from O, S and N and, when the additional heteroatom is N, the additional heteroatom optionally is substituted with an alkyl, phenyl or mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl substituent and, when the additional heteroatom is S, the additional heteroatom optionally is sulfinyl or sulfonyl,

or a methylene radical substituted with fluoro, hydroxyl, alkyloxy, alkylthio, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkylthio, phenyl, mono- or bicyclic aromatic heterocyclyl, carboxyl, alkyloxycarbonyl, cycloalkyloxycarbonyl, —NRaRb or —CONRaRb

 for which Ra and Rb are defined as above, and are additionally chosen from phenoxy, heterocyclyloxy, benzyloxy, and heterocyclylmethyloxy;

Hal is chlorine, bromine or iodine;

wherein any alkyl or acyl radical or portion, unless otherwise indicated, comprises from 1 to 10 carbon atoms in a straight or branched chain, and any cycloalkyl radical comprises from 3 to 6 carbon atoms;

with the proviso that the compound of formula (III) is not 3-fluoro4-chloro-6,7-dimethoxy-quinoline.

2. The compound as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Hal is bromine or iodine.

3. The compound as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Hal is iodine.

4. 4-Chloro-3-fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline.

5. 4-Bromo-3-fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline.

6. 4-Iodo-3-fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline.

7. 3-Fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline.

8. A process for preparing a compound as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Hal is chlorine, comprising fluorinating the corresponding 4-chloro-quinoline.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the compound prepared is 4-chloro-3-fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline and the starting material is 4-chloro-6-methoxyquinoline.

10. A process for preparing a compound as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Hal is bromine, comprising brominating the corresponding 3-fluoro-4-hydroxyquinoline.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the compound prepared is 4-Bromo-3-fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline.

12. A process for preparing a compound as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Hal is iodine, comprising:

contacting the corresponding 3-fluoro-quinoline with a suitable base, and iodating the product resulting from the previous step.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the compound prepared is 4-Iodo-3-fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline and the starting material is 3-fluoro-6-methoxyquinoline.

14. The compound as claimed in claim 1 , wherein R 1 is alkyloxy.

15. The compound as claimed in claim 14 , wherein R 1 is methoxy.