2-Phenyl-1-[4-(2-Aminoethoxy)-Benzyl]-Indoles as estrogenic agents

1. A method of treating or inhibiting osteoarthritis in a mammal in need thereof, which comprises administering to said mammal an effective amount of a compound of formula I or II, having the structures

wherein:

R 1 is selected from H, OH or the C 1 -C 12 esters (straight chain or branched) or C 1 -C 12 (straight chain or branched or cyclic) alkyl ethers thereof, or halogens; or C 1 -C 4 halogenated ethers including triflouromethyl ether and trichloromethyl ether;

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are independently selected from H, OH or the C 1 -C 12 esters (straight chain or branched) or C 1 -C 12 alkyl ethers (straight chain or branched or cyclic) thereof, halogens, or C 1 -C 4 halogenated ethers including triflouromethyl ether and trichloromethyl ether, cyano, C 1 -C 6 alkyl (straight chain or branched), or trifluoromethyl, with the proviso that, when R 1 is H, R 2 is not OH;

X is selected from H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, cyano, nitro, trifluoromethyl, halogen;

n is 2 or 3;

Y is selected from:

a) the moiety:

wherein R 7 and R 8 are independently selected from the group of H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or phenyl optionally substituted by CN, C 1 -C 6 alkyl (straight chain or branched), C 1 -C 6 alkoxy (straight chain or branched), halogen, —OH, —CF 3 , or —OCF 3 ;

b) a five-membered saturated, unsaturated or partially unsaturated heterocycle containing up to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of —O—, —NH—, —N(C 1 C 4 alkyl)—, —N═, and —S(O) m —, wherein m is an integer of from 0-2, optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halo, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, trihalomethyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, trihalomethoxy, C 1 -C 4 acyloxy, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfinyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfonyl, hydroxy (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CO 2 H—, —CN—, —CONHR 1 —, —NH 2 —, C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, di(C 1 -C 4 )alkylamino, —NHSO 2 R 1 —, —NHCOR 1 —, —NO 2 , and phenyl optionally substituted with 1-3 (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl;

c) a six-membered saturated, unsaturated or partially unsaturated heterocycle containing up to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of —O—, —NH—, —N(C 1 C 4 alkyl)—, —N═, and —S(O) m —, wherein m is an integer of from 0-2, optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halo, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, trihalomethyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, trihalomethoxy, C 1 -C 4 acyloxy, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfinyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfonyl, hydroxy (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CO 2 H—, —CN—, —CONHR 1 —, —NH 2 —, C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, di(C 1 -C 4 )alkylamino, —NHSO 2 R 1 —, —NHCOR 1 —, —NO 2 , and phenyl optionally substituted with 1-3 (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl;

d) a seven-membered saturated, unsaturated or partially unsaturated heterocycle containing up to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of —O—, —NH—, —N(C 1 C 4 alkyl)—, —N═, and —S(O) m —, wherein m is an integer of from 0-2, optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halo, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, trihalomethyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, trihalomethoxy, C 1 -C 4 acyloxy, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfinyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfonyl, hydroxy (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CO 2 H—, —CN—, —CONHR 1 —, —NH 2 —, C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, di(C 1 -C 4 )alkylamino, —NHSO 2 R 1 —, —NHCOR 1 —, —NO 2 , and phenyl optionally substituted with 1-3 (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl; or

e) a bicyclic heterocycle containing from 6-12 carbon atoms either bridged or fused and containing up to two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of —O—, —NH—, —N(C 1 C 4 alkyl)—, and —S(O) m —, wherein m is an integer of from 0-2, optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halo, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, trihalomethyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, trihalomethoxy, C 1 -C 4 acyloxy, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfinyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfonyl, hydroxy (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CO 2 H—, —CN—, —CONHR 1 —, —NH 2 —, C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, di(C 1 -C 4 )alkylamino, —NHSO 2 R 1 —, —NHCOR 1 —, —NO 2 , and phenyl optionally substituted with 1-3 (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

R 1 is selected from H, OH or the C 1 -C 4 esters or alkyl ethers thereof, halogen;

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are independently selected from H, OH or the C 1 -C 4 esters or alkyl ethers thereof, halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or trifluoromethyl, with the proviso that, when R 1 is H, R 2 is not OH;

X is selected from H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, cyano, nitro, triflouromethyl, halogen;

Y is the moiety

R 7 and R 8 are selected independently from H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or combined by —(CH 2 ) p —, wherein p is an integer of from 2 to 6, so as to form a ring, the ring being optionally substituted by up to three substituents selected from the group of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halo, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, trihalomethyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, trihalomethoxy, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfinyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfonyl, hydroxy (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CO 2 H, —CN, —CONH(C 1 -C 4 ), —NH 2 , C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, di(C 1 -C 4 )alkylamino, —NHSO 2 (C 1 -C 4 ), —NHCO(C 1 -C 4 ), and —NO 2 ;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

R 1 is OH;

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are independently selected from H, OH or the C 1 -C 4 esters or alkyl ethers thereof, halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, or trifluoromethyl, with the proviso that, when R 1 is H, R 2 is not OH;

X is selected from the group of Cl, NO 2 , CN, CF 3 , or CH 3 ;

R 7 and R 8 are concatenated together as —(CH 2 ) r , wherein r is an integer of from 4 to 6, to form a ring optionally substituted by up to three subsituents selected from the group of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halo, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, trihalomethyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, trihalomethoxy, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfinyl, C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfonyl, hydroxy (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CO2H, —CN, —CONH(C 1 -C 4 ), —NH 2 , C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, di(C 1 -C 4 )alkylamino, —NHSO 2 (C 1 -C 4 ), —NHCO(C 1 -C 4 ), and —NO 2 ;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is 1-[4-(2-azepan-1-yl-ethoxy)-benzyl]-2-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-3-methyl-1H-indol-5-ol or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is 2-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-3-methyl-1-[4-(2-piperidin-1-yl-ethoxy)-benzyl]-1H-indol-5-ol or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.