Pyrimidine compounds and uses thereof

1. A method of inhibiting IL-23 in vitro comprising administering to a cell a compound of formula (I):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein

aryl, or heteroaryl;

each of R 2 and R 4 , independently, is R c , halogen, nitro, cyano, isothionitro, SR c , or OR c ; or R 2 and R 4 , taken together, is carbonyl;

R 3 is R c , alkenyl, alkynyl, OR c , OC(O)R c , SO 2 R c , S(O)R c , S(O 2 )NR c R d , SR c , NR c R d , NR c COR d , NR c C(O)OR d , NR c C(O)NR c R d , NR c SO 2 R d , COR c , C(O)OR c , or C(O)NR c R d ;

R 5 is H or alkyl;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6;

X is O, S, S(O), S(O 2 ), or NR c ;

Y is a covalent bond, CH 2 , C(O), C═N—R c , C═N—OR c , C═N—SR c , O, S, S(O), S(O 2 ), or NR c ;

Z is N or CH;

one of U and V is N, and the other is CR c ; and

W is O, S, S(O), S(O 2 ), NR c , or NC(O)R c ;

in which each of R a and R b , independently, is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl; and each of R c and R d , independently, is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cyclyl, heterocyclyl, or alkylcarbonyl.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein U is N and V is CH.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein Z is N and W is O.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein X is NR c .

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein R c is H, methyl, ethyl, or acetyl.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein Y is O or CH 2 , and n is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein R 3 is aryl or heteroaryl.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein R 3 is pyridinyl.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of R a and R b is

wherein:

B is NR i , O, or S;

B′ is N or CR i ;

R g is H, alkyl, or alkoxyl;

R h is halogen, NO 2 , CN, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, OR c , OC(O)R c , SO 2 R c , S(O)R c , S(O 2 )NR c R d , SR c , NR c R d , NR c COR d , NR c C(O)OR d , NR c C(O)NR c R d , NR c SO 2 R d , COR c , C(O)OR c , or C(O)NR c R d ;

R i is H, alkyl, or alkylcarbonyl;

p is 0, 1, or 2; and

q is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein one of R a and R b is

the other of R a and R b is H or alkyl.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein R g is H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, cyclopropyl, methoxy, or ethoxy; R h is F, Cl, CN, methyl, methoxy, ethoxy, OC(O)CH 3 , OC(O)C 2 H 5 , C(O)OH, C(O)OC 2 H 5 , C(O)NH 2 , NHC(O)CH 3 , or S(O 2 )NH 2 ; R i is H, methyl, ethyl, or acetyl, and q is 0, 1, or 2.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein Rg is methyl or methoxy; R′ is H; and q is 0 .

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein U is N and V is CH.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein Z is N and W is O.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein X is NR c ; and R c is H, methyl, ethyl, or acetyl.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein Y is O or CH 2 ; and n is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein R 3 is aryl or heteroaryl.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein R 3 is pyridinyl.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein Y is O or CH 2 , and n is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein R 3 is aryl or heteroaryl.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein R 3 is pyridinyl.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is aryl or heteroaryl.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.