(R)-arylalkylamino derivatives and pharmaceutical compositions containing them

1. (R)-Arylalkylamino derivatives of formula (I):

wherein

R is selected from:

2-thiazolyl or 2-oxazolyl, unsubstituted or substituted by a methyl, tert-butyl or trifluoromethyl group;

C(Ra)═N—W wherein W is linear or branched C 1 -C 4 alkyl, or

CORa, SORa, or SO 2 Ra,

wherein

Ra is selected from

C 1 -C 5 -alkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 5 -alkenyl, or phenyl unsubstituted or substituted with a group selected from halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, halo-C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, hydroxy, C 1 -C 4 -acyloxy, phenoxy, cyano, nitro, or amino;

a heteroaryl group selected from pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrrole, thiophene, furan, indole, thiazole, or oxazole, such heteroaryl being unsubstituted or substituted with a group selected from halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, halo-C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, hydroxy, C 1 -C 4 -acyloxy, phenoxy, cyano, nitro, or amino;

an α or β carboxyalkyl residue of straight or branched C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 6 -alkenyl, or C 1 -C 6 -phenylalkyl, optionally substituted with a further carboxy (COOH) group; or

an ω-aminoalkylamino group of formula II:

wherein

X represents:

linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkylene, C 4 -C 6 alkenylene, C 4 -C 6 alkynylene, optionally substituted by a CO 2 R4 group or by a CONHR5 group, wherein R4 represents hydrogen or a linear or branched C 1 -C 4 alkyl group or a linear or branched C 2 -C 6 alkenyl group, and wherein R5 represents hydrogen, linear or branched C 2 -C 6 alkyl or an OR4 group, R4 being defined as above; or

a (CH 2 ) m —B—(CH 2 ) n , group, optionally substituted by a CO 2 R4 or CONHR5 group, as defined above, wherein B is an oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen atom optionally substituted by a C 1 -C 4 alkyl group, m is zero or an integer from 2 to 3 and n is an integer from 2 to 3, or B is a CO, SO, or CONH group, m is an integer from 1 to 3 and n is an integer from 2 to 3;

or X together with the nitrogen atom to which it is bound and with the R2 group forms a nitrogen containing 3-7 membered heterocyclic, monocyclic or polycyclic ring, and R3 represents hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 acyl, or phenyl unsubstituted or substituted with a group selected from halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, hydroxy, C 1 -C 4 -acyloxy, phenoxy, cyano, nitro, or amino;

R2 and R3 are independently:

hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl, optionally interrupted by an oxygen or sulfur atom, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 alkenyl, C 3 -C 6 -alkynyl, aryl-C 1 -C 3 -alkyl, or hydroxy-C 2 -C 3 -alkyl group; or R2 and R3 together with the N atom to which they are bound, form a 3-7 membered nitrogen heterocyclic ring of formula (III)

wherein

Y represents:

a single bond, CH 2 , O, S, or a N—R6 group, where R6 represents hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 acyl, or phenyl unsubstituted or substituted with a group selected from halogen, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, hydroxy, C 1 -C 4 -acyloxy, phenoxy, cyano, nitro, or amino, and p represents an integer from 0 to 3; or

a residue of formula SO 2 R7 wherein R7 is C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 6 -alkenyl, aryl or heteroaryl;

R1 is linear or branched C 1 -C 5 alkyl, or C 3 -C 5 cycloalkyl; and

Ar is 3′-benzoylphenyl, 3′-(4-chloro-benzoyl)-phenyl, 3′-(4-methyl-benzoyl)-phenyl, 3′-acetyl-phenyl, 3′-propionyl-phenyl, 3′-isobutanoyl-phenyl, 4′-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-phenyl, 4′-benzenesulfonyloxy-phenyl, 4′-trifluoromethanesulfonylamino-phenyl, 4′-benzenesulfonylamino-phenyl, 4′-benzenesulfonylmethyl-phenyl, 4′-acetoxyphenyl, 4′-propionyloxy-phenyl, 4′-benzoyloxy-phenyl, 4′-benzoylamino-phenyl, 3′-(furan-2-carbonyl)-phenyl, 3′-(benzofuran-2-carbonyl)-phenyl, 3′-(thiophene-2-carbonyl)-phenyl; 3′-(pyridine-2-carbonyl)-phenyl, 3′-(thiazole-2-carbonyl)-phenyl, 3′-(oxazole-2-carbonyl)-phenyl; 3′-(2-furyl)-phenyl, 3′-(2-oxazolyl)-phenyl, 3′-(3-isoxazolyl)-phenyl, 3′-(2-benzoxazolyl)-phenyl, 3′-(3-benzoisoxazolyl)-phenyl, 3′-(2-thiazolyl)-phenyl, 3′-(2-pyridyl)-phenyl, or 3′-(2-thienyl)-phenyl; or Ar is a heteroaryl ring selected from pyridine, pyrrole, thiophene, furan, or indole.

2. A compound according to claim 1 selected from:

4-{(1R)-1-[(phenylsulfonyl)amino]ethyl}phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate;

N-[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethyl]benzenesulfonamide;

4-{(1R)-1-[(pyridine-3-ylsulfonyl)amino]ethyl}phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate;

N-[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethyl]methanesulfonamide;

N-[(1R)-1-[3-(2-furoyl)phenyl]ethyl}thiophene-2-sulfonamide;

N-[(1R)-1-[3-(2-furoyl)phenyl]ethyl}methanesulfonamide;

4-{(1R)-1-[(thien-2-ylsulfonyl)amino]ethyl}phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate;

N-[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl]ethyl}thiophene-2-sulfonamide;

N-[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl]ethyl}-3-pyrrolidin-1-ylpropane-1-sulfonamide;

methyl 5-({[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethyl]amino}sulfonyl)-2-furoate;

5-({[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethyl]amino}sulfonyl)-2-furoic acid;

4-{(1R)-2-methyl-1-[(methylsulfonyl)amino]propyl}phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate;

N-((1R)-1-{4-[1-methyl-1-(phenylsulfonyl)ethyl]phenyl}ethyl)methanesulfonamide;

4-[(1R)-1-(isobutyrylamino)ethyl]phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate;

4-{[(1R)-1-(pyridine-3-ylcarbonyl)amino]ethyl]}phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate;

N-[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethyl]benzamide;

N-[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethyl]-2-furamide;

N-[(1R)-1-(3-benzoylphenyl)ethyl]cyclobutanecarboxamide;

N-[(1R)-1-(4-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)phenylethyl]-4-piperidin-1-ylbutanamide;

4-{(1R)-1-[(4-pyrrolidin-1-ylbutanoyl)amino]ethyl]}phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate; or

(3-{(1R)-1-[(4-trifluoromethyl-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)amino]ethyl]}phenyl) (phenyl)methanone.

3. A method for treating a disease that involves C5a induced chemotaxis of human PMNs, selected from the group consisting of sepsis, psoriasis, bullous pemphigoid, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, glomerulonephritis injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

4. A method for treating sepsis, psoriasis, bullous pemphigoid, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, glomerulonephritis or injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

5. A method for the preparation of (R)-arylalkylamines of formula (IV)

wherein Ar and R1 are as defined in claim 1 , comprising the steps of transforming the corresponding arylalkyl carboxylic acid into the corresponding acid azide, rearranging said azide into the corresponding isocyanate by Curtius reaction, and converting the isocyanate into an amine by acidic hydrolysis to produce the compound of formula (IV).

6. A method for the preparation of a compound of formula (I)

wherein R is CORa, SORa or SO 2 R 3 , and Ra is as defined in claim 1 , comprising reacting an (R)-arylalkylamine of formula (IV)

wherein Ar and R 1 are as defined in claim 1 , with a corresponding acyl, sulfinyl or sulfonyl chloride to produce the compound of formula (I).

7. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound according to claim 1 in admixture with a suitable carrier thereof.

8. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein:

R is:

2-thiazolyl, unsubstituted or substituted by a methyl or trifluoromethyl group; or

CORa, SO 2 Ra, or SORa;

wherein

Ra is selected from:

C 1 -C 5 -alkyl, or C 3 -C 5 -cycloalkyl;

phenyl, 3-pyridyl, 2-thiazolyl, 2-furyl, 5-(2-furoylmethyl), 5-(2-furoyl), 2-pyrrolyl, 2-thienyl, or 2-indolyl;

a carboxylalkyl group of straight or branched C 1 C 6 -alkyl, or C 1 -C 6 -phenylalkyl;

or

an ω-alkylamino group of formula II,

wherein X is linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkylene, C 4 -C 6 alkenylene, or C 4 -C 6 alkynylene; or X together with the nitrogen atom to which it is bound and with the R 2 group forms a nitrogen containing 3-7 membered heterocyclic monocyclic ring; and R 3 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

R 2 and R 3 are independently hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 alkenyl, or C 3 -C 6 -alkynyl;

or R 2 and R 3 together with the N atom to which they are bound, form a 4-6 membered nitrogen containing heterocyclic ring of formula (III), wherein Y represents CH 2 , O, S, or an N—R 6 group, where R 6 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, or C 1 -C 4 acyl, and p represents an integer from 0 to 2;

R 1 is methyl; and

Ar is 3′-benzoylphenyl, 4′-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-phenyl, 3′-(furan-2-carbonyl)-phenyl, or 3′-(benzofuran-2-carbonyl)-phenyl.