Substituted thienoimidazoles useful for disease treatment and prevention

1. A compound of the formula I or II

where

R1 is a substituted phenyl of formula:

where

R5 and R6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, cycloalkyl having 3, 4 or 5 carbon atoms, vinyl, ethynyl, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, cyano, trifluoromethyl, SF 5 , methoxy, nitro and —X—R7;

R7 is alkyl having 1, 2 or 3 carbon atoms, trifluoromethyl or CH 2 –CF 3 ;

X is CH 2 , O, NH or S(O) n ;

n is zero, one or two;

provided that R5 and R6 are not both hydrogen at the same time;

or

R1 is a substituted 3-thienyl of formula:

R2 and R3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, methyl, CN, OH, —O—CH 3 , NO 2 , NH 2 , —CF 3 and —Y—R8;

R8 is methyl, trifluoromethyl or CH 2 —CF 3 ;

Y is CH 2 , O, NH or S(O) m ;

m is zero, one or two; and

R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, cyclopropyl, cyclopropylmethyl and CH 2 —CF 3 ;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a trifluoroacetic acid salt of a compound of formula I or formula II.

2. A compound of claim 1 , which is of formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a trifluoroacetic acid salt of a compound of formula I.

3. A compound of claim 2 , wherein:

R5 and R6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, fluorine, chlorine, bromine or trifluoromethyl, provided that R5 and R6 are not both hydrogen at the same time;

R2, R3 and R4 are each hydrogen; or

a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a trifluoroacetic acid salt of said compound.

4. A compound of claim 2 , which is selected from the group consisting of:

2-(4-methyl-3-thienylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole,

2-(2,6-dichlorophenylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole,

2-(2-trifluoromethylphenylamino)- 1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole,

2-(2,6-dimethylphenylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole,

2-(2,6-difluorophenylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole,

2-(2-chloro-6-methylphenylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole,

2-(2,4-dichloro-3-thienylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole, and

2-(2-chloro-4-methyl-3-thienylamino)- 1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a trifluoroacetic acid salt of said compound thereof.

5. The compound of claim 4 wherein said salt is a trifluoroacetic acid salt.

6. A compound of claim 4 , which is selected from the group consisting of:

2-(2,6-dichlorophenylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole,

2-(2-chloro-4-methyl-3-thienylamino)-1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole; and

2-(2,4-dichloro-3-thienylamino)- 1 H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazole or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or a trifluoroacetic acid salt of said compound thereof.

7. The compound of claim 6 wherein said salt is a trifluoroacetic acid salt.

8. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or additive.

9. A method for the treatment sleep-related respiratory disturbances or sleep apneas which comprises administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

10. A method for the treatment of snoring which comprises administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

11. A pharmaceutical composition for human, veterinary or phytoprotective use, comprising an effective amount of a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or additive.

12. A pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 , further comprising another pharmacological active ingredient or medicament.

13. A process for preparing a compound of claim 1 , comprising

a) reacting a diamine of formulae III or IV with a cyanate of the formula V to give a urea derivative of the formula VI or VII; b) cyclizing the urea derivative of the formula VI or VII to give a compound of formulae Ia or IIa; and optionally c) substituting R4 of a compound of formulae Ia or IIa with a non-hydrogen group: