Bisaryl derivatives having FSH modulatory activity

1. A bisaryl derivative of the formula I,

wherein (R,R) is selected from (H,H), O, (H,CH 3 ), (H,OH) and (H,CN);

and wherein

A is a group of formula II or III:

wherein

n is 1,

R 1 is H, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl;

V is CH;

W is CR 2 ′;

R 2 and R 2 ′ are independently H, (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl or —CH 2 OH;

R 3 is (C 1 -C 15 ) alkyl, which may optionally be branched or unbranched and optionally may contain a double or triple bond at one or more positions, or R 3 is —(CH 2 ) q —O—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —(CH 2 ) q —(C 3 -C 8 )cycloalkyl, —(CH 2 ) q -tetrahydrofuranyl, —(CH 2 ) q -thiophenyl, —(CH 2 ) q -1,4-benzodioxol-6-yl, —(CH 2 ) q -phenyl, —(CH 2 ) q —S-phenyl, or —(CH 2 ) q —O-phenyl, wherein phenyl may be optionally substituted with (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 ) alkoxy, halogen, amino, or dimethylamino, wherein q is an integer of 1-10;

or R 3 is —(CH 2 ) x —C(O)—NR 5 —R 6 wherein

R 5 is H or (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl,

R 6 is —(CH 2 ) p —O—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —(CH 2 ) p —(C 3 -C 8 )cycloalkyl, —(CH 2 ) p -tetrahydrofuranyl, —(CH 2 ) p -thiophenyl, —(CH 2 ) p -1,4-benzodioxol-6-yl, —(CH 2 ) p -phenyl, —(CH 2 ) p —S-phenyl, or —(CH 2 ) p —O-phenyl, wherein phenyl may be optionally substituted with (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 ) alkoxy, halogen, amino, or dimethylamino,

wherein x and p are integers, and x is ≧1 and p>1 and x+p=3-8;

or R 3 is —(CH 2 ) y —C(O)—NR 5 —(C 1 -C 12 )alkyl, wherein the alkyl moiety may optionally be branched or unbranched and optionally may contain a double or triple bond at one or more positions, R 5 is as previously defined, y is an integer of 1-12 and the maximal chain length of R 3 is 15 atoms;

and Ar is of the formula VI or VII:

wherein

(i) X, Y, Z are independently H, OH, (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy, provided that at least one of X, Y and Z is not H; or

(ii) two of X, Y and Z are H, the other being —CHO, —CH 2 —NR 7 —CH 2 —R 8 or —CH 2 —NR 7 —CO—R 8 , wherein R 7 is H, (C 1 -C 6 )n-alkyl or —(CH 2 ) m —O—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl; R 8 is (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy, (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, amino or (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl—NH—; and m being 2-6; and

(iii) T is —CH 2 —NR 9 R 10 , wherein R 9 is (C 1 -C 6 )n-alkyl and R 10 is (C 2 -C 5 )acyl, (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxycarbonyl or (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl—NH—CO—.

2. The bisaryl derivative of claim 1 , wherein (R,R) is (H,H).

3. The bisaryl derivative of claim 2 , wherein A is a group of formula II.

4. The bisaryl derivative of claim 3 , wherein

n is 1,

R 1 is (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl;

V is CH;

W is CR 2 ′;

R 2 and R 2 ′ are independently H, (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl or —CH 2 OH; and

R 3 is (C 1 -C 15 ) alkyl, which may optionally be branched or unbranched and optionally may contain a double or triple bond at one or more positions,

or R 3 is —(CH 2 ) q —O—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —(CH 2 ) q —(C 3 -C 8 )cycloalkyl, —(CH 2 ) q -phenyl, —(CH 2 ) q —S-phenyl, or —(CH 2 ) q —O-phenyl, wherein phenyl may be optionally substituted with (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 ) alkoxy, halogen, amino, or dimethylamino, wherein q is an integer of 1-10;

or R 3 is —(CH 2 ) x —C(O)—NR 5 —R 6 , wherein

R 5 is H or (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl,

R 6 is —(CH 2 ) p —O—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —(CH 2 ) p —(C 3 -C 8 )cycloalkyl, —(CH 2 ) p -phenyl, —(CH 2 ) p —S-phenyl, or —(CH 2 ) p —O-phenyl, wherein phenyl may be optionally substituted with (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 ) alkoxy, halogen, amino, or dimethylamino,

wherein x and p are integers, and x is ≧1 and p>1 and x+p=3-8;

or R 3 is —(CH 2 ) y —C(O)—NR 5 —(C 1 -C 12 )alkyl, wherein the alkyl moiety may optionally be branched or unbranched and optionally may contain a double or triple bond at one or more positions, R 5 is as previously defined, y is an integer of 1-12 and the maximal chain length of R 3 is 15 atoms.

5. The bisaryl derivative of claim 4 , wherein n is 1; R 1 is methyl; and R 2 and R 2 ′ are independently H or methyl; and Ar is of the formula VI.

6. The bisaryl derivative of claim 5 , wherein R 3 is —CH 2 —C(O)—NH—(CH 2 ) p -phenyl, wherein p is 2-4 and phenyl may be optionally substituted; and Ar is of the formula VI, wherein X, Y and Z are all methoxy, or X and Z are methoxy and Y is OH, or X and Y are both H, and Z is —CH 2 —NR 7 —CO—R 8 .

7. The bisaryl derivative of claim 5 , wherein R 3 is (C 1 -C 15 )alkyl, which may optionally be branched or unbranched and optionally may contain a double or triple bond at one or more positions, or R 3 is —(CH 2 ) q —O—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —(CH 2 ) q —(C 3 -C 8 )cycloalkyl, —(CH 2 ) q -phenyl, —(CH 2 ) q —S-phenyl, or —(CH 2 ) q —O-phenyl, wherein phenyl may be optionally substituted with (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy, halogen, amino, or dimethylamino; and Ar is of the formula VI, wherein X, Y and Z are all methoxy, or X and Z are methoxy and Y is OH, or X and Y are both H, and Z is —CH 2 —NR 7 —CO—R 8 .

8. The bisaryl derivative of claim 7 , wherein R 2 is methyl and R 2 ′ is H or R 2 and R 2 ′ are both methyl; R 3 is an unbranched (C 7 -C 10 ) n-alkyl, optionally containing one or two double bonds, or R 3 is selected from —(CH 2 ) r —CH(CH 3 ) 2 , —(CH 2 ) r -phenyl and —(CH 2 ) t —S-phenyl, r being 5-8 and t being 4-7; and Ar is of the formula VI, wherein X, Y and Z are all methoxy, or X and Z are methoxy and Y is OH, or X and Y are both H, and Z is —CH 2 —NR 7 —CO—R 8 , wherein R 7 is n-butyl or —(CH 2 ) 2 —O—CH 3 and R 8 is —CH 3 , —NHCH 3 or —OCH 3 .

9. The bisaryl derivative of claim 8 , wherein R 3 is n-octyl and Ar is of the formula VI, wherein X and Y are both H, and Z is —CH 2 —NR 7 —CO—R 8 , wherein R 7 is n-butyl or —(CH 2 ) 2 —O—CH 3 and R 8 is —CH 3 , —NHCH 3 or —OCH 3 .

10. The bisaryl derivative of claim 4 , wherein n is 1, R 2 is n-butyl, R 2 and R 2 ′ are independently H or methyl and R 3 is —CH 2 —CO—HN—(C 4 -C 10 )alkyl, wherein the alkyl moiety is branched or unbranched, or —CH 2 —CO—HN—R 6 , wherein R 6 is —(CH 2 ) p -cyclohexyl or —(CH 2 ) p -phenyl, the phenyl being optionally substituted with (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or halogen and p being 2-4.

11. The bisaryl derivative of claim 2 , wherein A is a group of the formula III.

12. The bisaryl derivative of claim 11 , wherein n is 1, R 1 is H or methyl, V is CH, W is CH, R 2 is H or methyl, R 3 is (C 4 -C 10 )n-alkyl or —CH 2 —C(O)—HN—(C 4 -C 10 )n-alkyl, and Ar is of the formula VI, wherein X, Y and Z are methoxy.

13. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.