Derivatives of N-(heteroaryl)-1-heteroaryl-1H-indole-2-carboxamides, preparation thereof and therapeutic use thereof

1. A compound of the formula (I):

in which:

X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , X 4 represent, independently of one another, hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxyl, cyano, C(O)NR 1 R 2 , nitro, NR 1 R 2 , C 1 -C 6 -thioalkyl, —S(O)—C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, —S(O) 2 —C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, SO 2 NR 1 R 2 , NR 3 COR 4 , NR 3 SO 2 R 5 or aryl group, the aryl optionally being substituted by one or more substituents chosen from halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxyl, nitro or cyano group;

W represents a fused bicyclic group of formula:

bonded to the nitrogen atom via the 1, 2, 3 or 4 positions;

A represents a 5- to 7-membered heterocycle comprising from one to three heteroatoms chosen from O, S or N;

the carbon atom or atoms of A optionally being substituted by one or more groups chosen from a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkoxyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkyleneoxy, aryl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene, oxo or thio group;

the nitrogen atom or atoms of A optionally being substituted by R 6 when the nitrogen is adjacent to a carbon atom substituted by an oxo group, or by R 7 in the other cases;

Y represents a heteroaryl optionally substituted by one or more groups chosen from halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, hydroxyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxyl, C 1 -C 6 -thiofluoroalkyl, cyano, C(O)NR 1 R 2 , nitro, NR 1 R 2 , C 1 -C 6 -thioalkyl, SH, —S(O)—C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, —S(O) 2 —C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, —S(O)—C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, —S(O) 2 —, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, SO 2 NR 1 R 2 , NR 3 COR 4 , NR 3 SO 2 R 5 , aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group, the aryl and aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene optionally being substituted by one or more substitutes chosen from halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxyl, nitro or cyano group;

R 1 and R 2 represent, independently of one another, halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group; or

R 1 and R 2 form, together with the nitrogen atom which carries them, an azetidinyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, azepinyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl, piperazinyl or homopiperazinyl group, this group optionally being substituted by a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group;

R 3 and R 4 represent, independently of one another, hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group;

R 5 represents a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group;

R 6 represents hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group;

R 7 represents hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl-C(O)—, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene-(CO)—, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl-C(O)—, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C(O)—, aryl-C(O)—, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene-C(O)—, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl-S(O) 2 —, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl-S(O) 2 —, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-S(O) 2 —, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene-S(O) 2 —, aryl-S(O) 2 —, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene-S(O) 2 — or aryl group; and wherein

it being possible for the sulfur atom or atoms of the heterocycle A or the heteroaryl Y to be in the oxidized form;

it being possible for the nitrogen atom or atoms of the heterocycle A or of the heteroaryl Y to be in the oxidized form;

or a salt thereof.

2. The compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 , wherein X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 represent, independently of one another, hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl group; or a salt thereof.

3. The compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 , wherein X 1 , X 3 and X 4 represent hydrogen; or a salt thereof.

4. The compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 , wherein X 1 , X 3 and X 4 represent hydrogen and X 2 represents halogen; or a salt thereof.

5. The compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 , wherein

W represents a fused bicyclic group of formula:

bonded to the nitrogen atom via the 1, 2, 3 or 4 positions;

and W is chosen from the indolyl, isoindolyl, indolinyl, isoindolinyl, benzofuranyl, dihydrobenzofuranyl, benzothiophenyl, dihydrobenzothiophenyl, benzoxazolyl, dihydrobenzoxazolinyl, isobenzofuranyl, dihydroisobenzofuranyl, benzimidazolyl, dihydrobenzimidazolyl, indazolyl, benzothiazolyl, isobenzothiazolyl, dihydroisobenzothiazolyl, benzotriazolyl, quinolinyl, dihydroquinolinyl, tetrahydroquinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, dihydroisoquinolinyl, tetrahydroisoquinolinyl, benzoxazinyl, dihydrobenzoxazinyl, benzothiazinyl, dihydrobenzothiazinyl, cinnolinyl, quinazolinyl, dihydroquinazolinyl, tetrahydroquinazolinyl, quinoxalinyl, dihydroquinoxalinyl, tetrahydroquinoxalinyl, phthalazinyl, dihydrophthalazinyl, tetrahydrophthalazinyl, tetrahydrobenz[b]azepinyl, tetrahydrobenz[c]azepinyl, tetrahydrobenz[d]azepinyl, tetrahydrobenzo[1,4-b]diazepinyl, tetrahydrobenzo[1,4-e]diazepinyl, tetrahydrobenzo[1,4-b]oxazepinyl, tetrahydrobenzo[1,4-b]thiazepinyl groups; the carbon and/or nitrogen atom or atoms of the said group W optionally being substituted as defined in the general formula (I) according to claim 1 ; or a salt thereof.

6. The compound of formula (I) according to claim 5 , wherein W is chosen from the benzimidazolyl and indolyl groups; the carbon atom or atoms of A optionally being substituted by one or more C 1 -C 6 -alkyl groups; the nitrogen atom or atoms of A optionally being substituted by R 7 , R 7 representing a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl group; or a salt thereof.

7. The compound of formula (I) according to claim 6 , wherein W is chosen from the benzimidazol-5-yl and indol-5-yl groups; the carbon atom or atoms of A optionally being substituted by one or more C 1 -C 6 -alkyl groups; the nitrogen atom or atoms of A optionally being substituted by R 7 , R 7 representing a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl group; or a salt thereof.

8. The compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 , wherein Y represents a pyridinyl optionally substituted by one or more C 1 -C 6 -alkyl groups; or a salt thereof.

9. A process for the preparation of a compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 comprising:

reacting a compound of formula (IV):

in which X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , X 4 and Y are as defined in claim 1 and D represents a C 1 -C 6 -alkoxyl group,

with an amide of the compound of formula (V):

in which W is as defined in claim 1 ,

at reflux of a solvent, wherein the amide of the compound of formula (V) being prepared by prior action with trimethylaluminum.

10. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

11. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 2 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

12. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 3 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

13. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 4 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

14. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 5 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

15. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 6 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 7 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

17. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) according to claim 8 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

18. A method of treating a disease selected from the group consisting of pain and irritation of the skin, eyes and mucous membrane, comprising administering to a patient in need of said treatment a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 .

19. A method of treating a disease in a patient, which disease is selected from the group consisting of inflammation, urological disorders, gynecological disorders, respiratory disorders, multiple sclerosis and depression, comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 .

20. A method of treating a disease in a patient, which disease is selected from the group consisting of metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, psoriasis, pruritis, herpes and shingles, comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (I) according to claim 1 .