Biaryl carboxylic acid apoptosis promoters

1. A compound of formula (I),

or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein

A 1 is A 3 or A 4 ;

A 3 is OL 1 R 1 , or NHL 1 R 1 ; wherein L 1 is C 1 -C 4 -alkylene or C 3 -C 4 -alkenylene;

A 4 is NHC(O)R 1 , C(O)NHR 1 , NHSO 2 R 1 , or NHSO 2 L 2 R 1 ; wherein L 2 is C 1 -C 3 -alkylene or C 2 -C 3 -alkenylene;

R 1 is R 2 , OR 2 , NHSO 2 R 2 , or R 3 ;

R 2 is phenyl which is unfused or fused with benzene, heteroarene or cycloalkane;

R 3 is heteroaryl which is unfused or fused with benzene;

B 1 is phenyl substituted with one F;

C 1 is C(O)OH;

wherein R 2 and R 3 are independently unsubstituted or substituted with one or two or three or four or five of independently selected R 17 , OR 17 , SR 17 , S(O)R 17 , SO 2 R 17 , C(O)R 17 , CO(O)R 17 , OC(O)R 17 , OC(O)OR 17 , NH 2 , NHR 17 , N(R 17 ) 2 , NHC(O)R 17 , C(O)NH 2 , C(O)NHR 17 , C(O)N(R 17 ) 2 , C(O)NHOH, C(O)NHOR 17 , C(O)NHSO 2 R 17 , C(O)NR 17 , NHSO 2 R 17 , N(SO 2 R 17 ) 2 , SO 2 NH 2 , SO 2 NHR 17 , SO 2 N(R 17 ) 2 , C(O)H, C(O)OH, C(N)NH 2 , C(N)NHR 17 , C(N)N(R 17 ) 2 , N═NR 17 , CNOH, CNOCH 3 , OH, (O), N 3 , NO 2 , CF 3 , CF 2 CF 3 , CF 2 Cl, SO 2 CF 3 , SO 2 CF 2 CF 3 , SO 2 CF 2 Cl, NHSO 2 CF 3 , NHSO 2 CF 2 CF 3 , OCF 3 , OCF 2 CF 3 , F, Cl, Br or I, wherein

R 17 is R 18 , R 19 , R 29 or R 21 ;

R 18 is phenyl which is unfused or fused with benzene, heteroarene or R 18A , wherein R 18A is cycloalkane, cycloalkene, heterocycloalkane or heterocycloalkene;

R 19 is heteroaryl which is unfused or fused with benzene, heteroarene or R 19A , wherein R 19A is cycloalkane, cycloalkene, heterocycloalkane or heterocycloalkene;

R 20 is cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocycloalkyl or heterocycloalkenyl, each of which is unfused or fused with benzene, heteroarene or R 20A , wherein R 20A is cycloalkane, cycloalkene, heterocycloalkane or heterocycloalkene;

R 21 is alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted with one or two of independently selected alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, R 22 , OR 22 , NHR 22 N(R c )R 22 , SR 22 , S(O)R 22 or SO 2 R 22 ;

R 22 is phenyl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocycloalkyl or heterocycloalkenyl, each of which is unfused or fused with, benzene, heteroarene or R 22A , wherein R 22A is cycloalkane, cycloalkene, heterocycloalkane or heterocycloalkene;

wherein the cyclic moieties represented by R 18 , R 18A , R 19 , R 19A , R 20 , R 20A , R 22 and R 22A are independently unsubstituted or substituted with one or two or three or four or five of independently selected R 23 , OR 23 , NHR 23 , N(R 23 ) 2 , SR 23 , S(O)R 23 or SO 2 R 23 , CF 3 , CF 2 CF 3 , OH, NH 2 , NHCH 3 , N(CH 3 ) 2 , N 3 , NO 2 , CF 3 , CF 2 CF 3 , NHSO 2 CF 3 , NHSO 2 CF 2 CF 3 , OCF 3 , OCF 2 CF 3 , F, Cl, Br or I;

R 23 is phenyl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocycloalkyl, heterocycloalkenyl or R 24 ; and

R 24 is alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted with phenyl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocycloalkyl or heterocycloalkenyl.

2. A compound of claim 1 , or therapeutically acceptable salts thereof, selected from the group consisting of

4′-fluoro-3-(((3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)sulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((((E)-2-phenylethenyl)sulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((4-vinylphenyl)sulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)sulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-(((5-(dimethylamino)-2-naphthyl)sulfonyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-(((4-((E)-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)diazenyl)phenyl)sulfonyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((2-(4-pyridinyl)ethyl)sulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((2-thienylsulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-(((4-((3-cyclohexylpropyl)amino)-3-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((3-nitro-4-((2-(phenylsulfanyl)ethyl)amino)phenyl)sulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((2-(((4-chloro-3-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)amino)ethyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((2-(((4-((cyclohexylmethyl)amino)-3-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)amino)ethyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((2-(((4-((2-cyclohexylethyl)amino)-3-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)amino)ethyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((4-((3-cyclohexylpropyl)amino)-3-nitrobenzyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((2-(8-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthalenyl)ethyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)propoxy)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(3-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-naphthalenyloxy)propoxy)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid and

4′-fluoro-3-(((2E)-4-(1-naphthyl)-2-butenyl)oxy)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid

4′-fluoro-3-((3-nitro-4-(2-propylphenoxy)benzoyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((4-((cyclohexylmethyl)amino)-3-nitrobenzoyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((4-((1-adamantylmethyl)amino)-3-nitrobenzoyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((3-nitro-4-((2-(phenylsulfanyl)ethyl)amino)benzoyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((4-((2-(cyclohexylsulfanyl)ethyl)amino)-3-nitrobenzoyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((3-nitro-4-((2-(phenylsulfanyl)ethyl)amino)anilino)carbonyl)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((4-((1-adamantylmethyl)amino)-3-nitroanilino)carbonyl)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((4-((cyclohexylmethyl)amino)-3-nitroanilino)carbonyl)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((5-hydroxy-2-naphthyl)amino)carbonyl)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((7-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)amino)carbonyl)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((2E)-3-(8-hydroxy-2-naphthyl)-2-propenoyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((8-hydroxy-2-naphthoyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((3,5-dimethoxy-2-naphthoyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((8-hydroxy-2-naphthyl)methyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((3-(8-hydroxy-2-naphthyl)propanoyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((8-hydroxy-2-naphthyl)amino)carbonyl)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-(((1,1′-biphenyl)-4-ylsulfonyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((2-naphthylsulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((phenylsulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((1-naphthylsulfonyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-(((8-hydroxy-2-naphthyl)acetyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((6-hydroxy-2-naphthoyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

3-((2-(((4-(cyclohexylamino)-3-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)amino)ethyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid,

4′-fluoro-3-((2-(((3-nitro-4-((2-(phenylsulfanyl)ethyl)amino)phenyl)sulfonyl)amino)ethyl)amino)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid, and

3-((4-(2-tert-butylphenoxy)-3-nitrobenzoyl)amino)-4′-fluoro(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid.