Therapeutic and/or preventive agents for a sleep disorder

1. A method for treating a sleep disorder selected from the group consisting of narcolepsy, hypersomnia and a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, which comprises administering an effective amount of a thiazole derivative represented by the general formula (I):

wherein R 1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted five-membered aromatic heterocyclic group having at least one oxygen atom,

R 2 represents halogen, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, —NR 4 R 5 (wherein R 4 and R 5 may be the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkanoyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, or R 4 and R 5 are combined together with the adjacent nitrogen atom thereto to represent a substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group), —COR 6 {wherein R 6 represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, —NR 7 R 8 (wherein R 7 and R 8 may be the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkanoyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, or R 7 and R 8 are combined together with the adjacent nitrogen atom thereto to represent a substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group), or —OR 9 (wherein R 9 represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl)}, and

R 3 represents —NR 10 R 11 {wherein R 10 and R 11 may be the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, —COR 12 [wherein R 12 represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, —NR 13 R 14 (wherein R 13 and R 14 may be the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkanoyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, or R 13 and R 14 are combined together with the adjacent nitrogen atom thereto to represent a substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group), or —OR 15 (wherein R 15 represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl)], or R 10 and R 11 are combined together with the adjacent nitrogen atom thereto to represent a substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group}, —CONHR 16 (wherein R 16 represents a hydrogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkanoyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aroyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl), or the general formula (II)

(wherein ═X— represents ═CH— or ═N—, and R 17 and R 18 may be the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, halogen, hydroxy, nitro, azido, amino, cyano, carboxy, formyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkanoyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted lower alkylamino, substituted or unsubstituted di-(lower alkyl)amino, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aroyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl, or R 17 and R 18 are combined together with the respectively adjacent two carbon atoms thereto to form a substituted or unsubstituted carbon ring or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic ring),

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as an active ingredient.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R 1 is substituted or unsubstituted furyl.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein R 2 is —COR 6 .

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein R 2 is a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein R 2 is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein R 6 is substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein R 6 is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group.

8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein R 6 is a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group.

9. The method according to claim 3 , wherein R 6 is a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic group having at least one oxygen atom.

10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein R 6 is substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R 3 is —NR 10 R 11 .

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R 3 is —NHR 11 .

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein R 11 is —COR 12 .

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein R 12 is substituted or unsubstituted aryl.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein R 12 is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein R 12 is —OR 15 .

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein R 12 is substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic alkyl.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein R 12 is substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic heterocyclic alkyl.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R 3 is —CONHR 16 .

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R 3 is the general formula (II)

21. The method according to claim 2 , wherein R 3 is —NHR 11 .

22. The method according to claim 3 , wherein R 3 is —NHR 11 .

23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein R 11 is —COR 12 .

24. The method according to claim 22 , wherein R 11 is —COR 12 .

25. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thiazole derivative is a compound represented by any of formulae (1), (5), (7), (8), (11), (78), (95), (99), (114), (136), (142), (157), (336), (360), (361), (365), (367), (373) (376), (407), (409), (416), (420), (463), or (508):

26. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 or 21 - 25 , wherein the sleep disorder is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder.

27. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 or 21 - 25 , wherein the sleep disorder is hypersomnia.

28. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 or 21 - 25 , wherein the sleep disorder is narcolepsy.

29. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the circadian rhythm sleep disorder is recurrent hypersomnia, idiopathic hypersomnia, or posttraumatic hypersomnia.