Compounds, compositions and methods for the treatment of inflammatory diseases

1. A method of inhibiting the inflammatory process, the method comprising administering to a mammal suffering from inflammation a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound

where:

R is a C 1 -C 10 alkylene group, in which, when the number of carbon atoms is at least 2, there are optionally 1 or 2 non-adjacent double bonds; 1 to 3 non-adjacent methylene groups are optionally replaced by NR 1 (where R 1 is H, alkyl, or acyl), O, or S; and 1 or 2 methylene groups are optionally replaced by a carbonyl or hydroxymethylene group, with the proviso that if R is unsaturated then the carbonyl is not adjacent to either aromatic ring, and pharmaceutically acceptable esters or salts of the compounds.

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

3,4,3′,4′-tetrahydroxybenzoin (compound 1);

3,4,3′,4′-tetrahydroxydesoxybenzoin (compound 2);

3,4,3′,4′-tetrahydroxydiphenylmethane (compound 3);

1,2-bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethane (compound 4);

1,3-bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propane (compound 5);

N,N′-bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)-N,N 1 -dimethylethylenediamine (compound 10);

N,N′-bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine (compound 24);

1,2-bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenoxy)ethane (compound 41);

1,3-bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenoxy)propane (compound 42);

N-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenoxy)-2-hydroxyropylamine (compound 44);

3,4-dihydroxyphenoxyacetic acid 3,4-dihydroxyanilide (compound 45);

3,4-dihydroxyphenoxyacetic acid 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamide (compound 46);

3,4-dihydroxyphenoxyacetic acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamide (compound 47);

3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid 3,4-dihydroxyanilide (compound 51);

3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamide (compound 52);

3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamide (compound 53);

3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid 3,4-dihydroxyanilide (compound 54);

3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamide (compound 55);

3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamide (compound 56);

3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid 3,4-dihydroxyanilide (compound 57);

3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid 3,4-dihydroxybenzaylamide (compound 58);

3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamide (compound 59);

3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid 3,4-dihydroxyanilide (compound 60);

3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamide (compound 61);

3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamide (compound 62);

oxalic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxyanilide) (compound 63);

oxalic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzylamide) (compound 64);

oxalic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamide) (compound 65);

succinic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxyanilide) (compound 66);

succinic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzylamide) (compound 67);

succinic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamide) (compound 68);

maleic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxyanilide) (compound 69);

maleic acid bis(3,4-dihydroxyanilide) (compound 70);

fumaric acid bis(3,4-dihydroxyanilide) (compound 71);

fumaric acid bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzylamide) (compound 72);

bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)amine (compound 73);

N(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)-3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine (compound 74);

1,3-bis(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)urea (compound 76);

1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)urea (compound 77);

1-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)urea (compound 78);

and methylenedioxy analogs and pharmaceutically acceptable esters or salts of the compounds.

3. The method of claim 1 where the mammal is human.

4. The method of claim 1 where the therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition is from 0.1-1000 mg/Kg body weight/day.

5. The method of claim 1 where the therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition is from 1-100 mg/Kg body weight/day.

6. The method of claim 1 where the therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition is from 10-100 mg/Kg body weight/day.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the inflammatory process results from a disease selected from the group consisting of ulcerative colitis, endotoxic shock, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, gout, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, viral or post-viral arthritis and ankylosing spondylarthritis.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the inflammatory process results from rheumatoid arthritis.

9. The method of claim 1 where the pharmaceutical composition additionally comprises one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.