Compounds as cannabinoid receptor ligands and uses thereof

1. A method of treating inflammatory disorders in a mammal in need of such treatment, comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound having formula (I)

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, or a combination thereof, wherein

R 1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxyalkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkynyl, arylalkoxyalkyl, arylalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, haloalkyl, haloalkoxyalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxyalkyl, heterocycle, heterocyclealkyl, heterocycleoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, or R a R b N-alkylene-;

R 2 and R 3 , together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, form a 4-, 5-, 6-, or 7-membered monocyclic ring, optionally fused to a benzo or a monocyclic heteroaryl, said monocyclic ring contains zero or one additional double bonds, one oxygen atom, and zero or one nitrogen atom as ring atoms; two non-adjacent atoms of said monocyclic ring can be optionally linked by an alkenylene bridge of 2, 3, or 4 carbon atoms, or optionally linked by an alkylene bridge of 1, 2, 3, or 4 carbon atoms, said monocyclic ring is independently unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of oxo, alkyl, alkylsulfonyl, halo, —OH, —O(alkyl), and haloalkyl; two substituents on the same carbon atom of said monocyclic ring, together with the carbon atom to which they are attached, optionally form a 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-membered monocyclic cycloalkyl ring, wherein the monocyclic cycloalkyl ring is optionally substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl and haloalkyl;

R 4 is a bridged cycloalkyl or a bridged heterocycle; optionally substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, —OR p , —NR c R d , oxo, halo, haloalkyl, carboxy and ═CH 2 ;

R a and R b are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, aryl, arylalkyl, arylcarbonyl, arylsulfonyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroarylcarbonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, heterocycle, heterocyclealkyl, heterocyclecarbonyl or heterocyclesulfonyl;

R c and R d , at each occurrence, are each independently hydrogen, alkoxycarbonyl, alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl or arylalkyl;

L 2 is a single bond, alkylene, —NR g - or —NR g -alkylene- wherein the alkylene moiety is attached to R 4 of formula (I);

R g is hydrogen or alkyl,

the aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocycle, and heteroaryl moieties, as substituents or part of a substituent, represented by R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R a , R b , R c , and R d , are each independently unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, alkoxyalkoxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylcarbonylalkyl, alkylcarbonyloxy, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfinylalkyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfonylalkyl, alkylthio, alkylthioalkyl, alkynyl, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, formyl, formylalkyl, halo, haloalkyl, haloalkoxy, oxo, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, —SH, —NO 2 , —NZ 1 Z 2 , and (NZ 3 Z 4 )carbonyl;

Z 1 and Z 2 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkylcarbonyl, or formyl;

Z 3 and Z 4 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, or haloalkyl; and

R p , at each occurrence, is independently hydrogen, alkyl, or haloalkyl.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of

N-[(2Z)-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-4,6-dihydrofuro[3,4-d][1,3]thiazol-2(3H)-ylidene]adamantane-1-carboxamide;

N-[(2Z)-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-4,6-dihydrofuro[3,4-d][1,3]thiazol-2(3H)-ylidene]hexahydro-2,5-methanopentalene-3a(1H)-carboxamide;

N-[(2Z)-1-(2-methoxyethyl)-1,4,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-pyrano[4,3-d][1,3]thiazo-l-2 ylidene]hexahydro-2,5-methanopentalene-3a(1H)-carboxamide; and

N-[(2Z)-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-4,6-dihydrofuro[3,4-d][1,3]thiazol-2 (3H)-ylidene]-2-oxatricyclo[3.3.1.1 3,7 ]decane-1-carboxamide;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.