Patent

1. A method for treating a disease selected from the group consisting of pain, depression, diabetes, an urological disorder, a gynecological disorder, a gastrointestinal disorder, a respiratory disorder, psoriasis, pruritus, dermal, ocular or mucous irritation, herpes and zona comprising administering to a patient in need of said treatment a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:

wherein:

X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 represent, independently of each other, a hydrogen or halogen atom, 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 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxy, 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 being optionally substituted with one or more substituents chosen from a halogen and 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 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxy, nitro or cyano group;

W represents a fused bicyclic group of formula:

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

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

the carbon atom(s) of A being optionally substituted with one or more groups chosen from a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C i -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, aryl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene, oxo or thio group;

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

n is equal to 1, 2 or 3;

Y represents a heteroaryl optionally substituted with one or more groups chosen from a halogen atom and 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, hydroxyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxy, 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, 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 the aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene being optionally substituted with one or more substituents chosen from a halogen and 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 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkoxy, nitro or cyano group;

R 1 and R 2 represent, independently of each other, 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, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group; or R 1 and R 2 together form, with the nitrogen atom that bears them, an azetidinyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidyl, azepinyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl, piperazinyl or homopiperazinyl group, this group being optionally substituted with 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 each other, a hydrogen atom or a 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 a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C i -C 3 -alkylene, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or aryl group;

R 7 represents 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, 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;

the sulfur atom(s) of the heterocycle A or of the heteroaryl Y optionally being in oxidized form;

the nitrogen atom(s) of the heterocycle A or of the heteroaryl Y optionally being in oxidized form;

or an acid-addition salt thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula (I):

X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , X 4 represent, independently of each other, a hydrogen or halogen atom, a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl group or a group NR 1 R 2 , and wherein R 1 and R 2 being as defined in claim 1 .

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula (I):

W represents a fused bicyclic group of formula:

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

and W is chosen from indolinyl, isoindolyl, isoindolinyl, benzofuryl, dihydrobenzofuryl, benzothiophenyl, dihydrobenzothiophenyl, benzoxazolyl, dihydrobenzoxazolinyl, isobenzofuryl, dihydroisobenzofuryl, benzimidazolyl, dihydrobenzimidazolyl, indolyl, indazolyl, benzothiazolyl, isobenzothiazolyl, dihydroisobenzothiazolyl, benzotriazolyl, quinolyl, dihydroquinolyl, tetrahydroquinolyl, isoquinolyl, dihydroisoquinolyl, tetrahydroisoquinolyl, benzoxazinyl, dihydrobenzoxazinyl, benzothiazinyl, dihydrobenzothiazinyl, cinnolinyl, quinazolinyl, dihydroquinazolinyl, tetrahydroquinazolinyl, quinoxalinyl, dihydroquinoxalinyl, tetrahydroquinoxalinyl, phthalazinyl, dihydrophthalazinyl, tetrahydrophthalazinyl, tetrahydrobenz[b]azepinyl, tetrahydrobenz[c]azepinyl, tetrahydrobenz[d]azepinyl, tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,4]diazepinyl, tetrahydrobenzo[e][1,4]diazepinyl, tetrahydrobenzo [b][1,4]oxazepinyl or tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,4]thiazepinyl groups; and wherein

the carbon or nitrogen atom(s) of the said group W being optionally substituted one or more times with substituents as defined in claim 1 .

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula (I):

W represents a fused bicyclic group of formula:

bonded to the nitrogen atom via positions 2 or 3;

and W is chosen from benzimidazolyl, indolyl, benzothiazolyl, quinolyl, tetrahydroquinolyl and benzoxazinyl groups; and wherein

the carbon atom(s) of A being optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl or oxo group; and

the nitrogen atom(s) of A being optionally substituted with R 6 when the nitrogen is adjacent to a carbon atom substituted with an oxo group, R 6 representing a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl group; or with R 7 in the other cases, wherein R 7 representing a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl group or a C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene group.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula (I) n is equal to 1 or 2.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula (I):

Y represents a heteroaryl chosen from pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl, imidazolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzothiazolyl, thiazolyl, furyl, quinolyl, isoquinolyl, quinoxalinyl groups, the heteroaryl being optionally substituted with one or more groups chosen from C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene or NR 1 R 2 groups; and wherein R 1 and R 2 together forming, with the nitrogen atom that bears them, a morpholinyl group;

or an acid-addition salt thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula (I):

X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , X 4 represent, independently of each other, a hydrogen or halogen atom, a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl or NR 1 R 2 group, wherein R 1 and R 2 being as defined in claim 1 ;

W represents a fused bicyclic group of formula:

bonded to the nitrogen atom via positions 2 or 3; and W is chosen from benzimidazolyl, indolyl, benzothiazolyl, quinolyl, tetrahydroquinolyl or benzoxazinyl groups; and wherein

the carbon atom(s) of A being optionally substituted with one or more C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl or oxo groups; and

the nitrogen atom(s) of A being optionally substituted with R 6 when the nitrogen is adjacent to a carbon atom substituted with an oxo group, R 6 representing a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl group; or with R 7 in the other cases, R 7 representing a C 1 -C 6 -alkyl group or a C 3 -C 7 -cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 3 -alkylene group;

n is equal to 1 or 2; and

Y represents a heteroaryl chosen from pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl, imidazolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzothiazolyl, thiazolyl, furyl, quinolyl, isoquinolyl, quinoxalinyl groups, the heteroaryl being optionally substituted with one or more groups chosen from C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -fluoroalkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 6 -alkylene and NR 1 R 2 groups; wherein R 1 and R 2 together forming, with the nitrogen atom that bears them, a morpholinyl group;

or an acid-addition salt thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is pain.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is depression.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is diabetes.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is an urological disorder.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is a gynecological disorder.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is a gastrointestinal disorder.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is a respiratory disorder.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is psoriasis.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is pruritus.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is dermal, ocular or mucous irritation.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is herpes.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease is zona.