Substituted phenols as active agents inhibiting VEGF production

1. A compound of Formula (I) having the structure:

wherein

X is O or S;

A is O or N,

with the proviso that when A is O, R 3 is absent;

R 1 and R 2 taken together with the atom to which they are attached, may optionally form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle containing, including the heteroatom to which R 1 and R 2 are attached, one to three ring heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S,

wherein the unsubstituted heterocycle is selected from 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 3,4-dihydro-1H-isoquinoline, piperidine, morpholine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, 3,4-dihydro-2H-quinoline, pyrrolidine, 2,3-dihydro-indole, indoline, piperazine, [1,4]diazepane or 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine,

wherein the substituted heterocycle is selected from piperidine, 1,4-diazepane or piperazine,

wherein piperidine and 1,4-diazepane are substituted with methyl, hydroxy-diphenyl-methyl, benzyl, piperidine, aminocarbonyl, 4-chloro-phenyl or phenyl and,

wherein piperazine is substituted with methyl, hydroxy-diphenyl-methyl, piperidine, aminocarbonyl, 4-chloro-phenyl or phenyl;

R 3 is H;

R 12 is H, unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted alkoxy and halogen;

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, —COR 9 , —NR 10 R 11 , and halogen;

wherein one of R 10 and R 11 is H and the other is unsubstituted alkylsulfonyl; and

R 9 is selected from unsubstituted alkyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. The compound of claim 1 , having the structure:

wherein

R 12 is selected from the group consisting of H, unsubstituted alkoxy and halogen;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

3. The compound of claim 1 , having the structure:

wherein

X is O or S;

A is O or N,

with the proviso that when A is O, R 3 is absent;

R 1 and R 2 taken together with the atom to which they are attached, may optionally form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle containing, including the heteroatom to which R 1 and R 2 are attached, one to three ring heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S,

wherein the unsubstituted heterocycle is selected from 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 3,4-dihydro-1H-isoquinoline, piperidine, morpholine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, 3,4-dihydro-2H-quinoline, pyrrolidine, 2,3-dihydro-indole, indoline, piperazine, [1,4]diazepane or 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine,

wherein the substituted heterocycle is selected from piperidine, 1,4-diazepane or piperazine,

wherein piperidine and 1,4-diazepane are substituted with methyl, hydroxy-diphenyl-methyl, benzyl, piperidine, aminocarbonyl, 4-chloro-phenyl or phenyl and,

wherein piperazine is substituted with methyl, hydroxy-diphenyl-methyl, piperidine, aminocarbonyl, 4-chloro-phenyl or phenyl;

R 3 is H;

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, —COR 9 , —NR 10 R 11 , and halogen, wherein R 9 is unsubstituted alkyl and one of R 10 and R 11 is H and the other is unsubstituted alkylsulfonyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

4. A compound of claim 1 having Formula (I):

wherein

R 9 is selected from unsubstituted alkyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

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

Piperidine-1-carboxylic acid 4-chloro-isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

3,5-Dimethyl-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid 4-chloro-isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

4-Methyl-piperazine-1-carboxylic acid 4-chloro-isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

2,6-Dimethyl-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

4-Methyl-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

4-Benzyl-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

2-Methyl-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

3,5-Dimethyl-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

3,4-Dihydro-2H-quinoline-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

4-Methyl-piperazine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

Pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

Piperidine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

2,3-Dihydro-indole-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

4-Phenyl-piperazine-1-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester;

3,4-Dihydro-1H-isoquinoline-2-carboxylic acid isoquinolin-3-yl ester; or

a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

6. A method for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition, the method comprising combining a compound according to claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

7. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said one or more compounds, and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient for use in inhibiting VEGF production or angiogenesis, or for use in the treatment of cancer, diabetic retinopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atherosclerosis, obesity, chronic inflammation, exudative macular degeneration or ocular neovascular disorders in a subject in need thereof.

8. A method of selectively inhibiting vascular endothelial cell growth, comprising the step of exposing cells exhibiting vascular endothelial cell growth to an effective amount of one or more compounds having the structure:

wherein

X is O or S;

A is O or N,

with the proviso that when A is O, R 3 is absent;

R 1 and R 2 taken together with the atom to which they are attached, may optionally form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle containing, including the heteroatom to which R 1 and R 2 are attached, one to three ring heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S,

wherein the unsubstituted heterocycle is selected from 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 3,4-dihydro-1H-isoquinoline, piperidine, morpholine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, 3,4-dihydro-2H-quinoline, pyrrolidine, 2,3-dihydro-indole, indoline, piperazine, [1,4]diazepane or 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine,

wherein the substituted heterocycle is selected from piperidine, 1,4-diazepane or piperazine,

wherein piperidine and 1,4-diazepane are substituted with methyl, hydroxy-diphenyl-methyl, benzyl, piperidine, aminocarbonyl, 4-chloro-phenyl or phenyl and,

wherein piperazine is substituted with methyl, hydroxy-diphenyl-methyl, piperidine, aminocarbonyl, 4-chloro-phenyl or phenyl;

R 3 is H;

R 12 is H, unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted alkoxy and halogen;

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, —COR 9 , —NR 10 R 11 , and halogen;

wherein one of R 10 and R 11 is H and the other is unsubstituted alkylsulfonyl; and

R 9 is selected from unsubstituted alkyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.