DERIVATIVES OF N-(ARYLAMINO) SULFONAMIDES AS INHIBITORS OF MEK

1 - 101 . (canceled)

102 . A method for the treatment of an oncologic disease, a proliferative disease or an inflammatory disease in an individual or a method for inhibiting tumor size increase, reducing the size of a tumor, or reducing tumor proliferation in an individual,

comprising administering to said individual an effective amount of a compound of formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, or tautomer thereof:

wherein

Z is H or F;

X is F, Cl, CH 3 , CH 2 OH, CH 2 F, CHF 2 , or CF 3 ;

Y is I, Br, Cl, CF 3 , C 1 -C 3 alkyl, C 2 -C 3 alkenyl, C 2 -C 3 alkynyl, cyclopropyl, O-Methyl, O-Ethyl, S-Methyl or phenyl; where

said phenyl group is optionally substituted with F, Cl, Br, I, acetyl, methyl, CN, NO 2 , CO 2 H, C 1 -C 3 alkyl, C 1 -C 3 alkoxy, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-C(═O)—, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-C(═S)—, C 1 -C 3 alkoxy-C(═S)—, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-C(═O)O—, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-O—(C═O)—, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-C(═O)NH—, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-C(═NH)NH—, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-NH—(C═O)—, di-C 1 -C 3 alkyl-N—(C═O)—, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-C(═O)N(C 1 -C 3 alkyl)-, C 1 -C 3 alkyl-S(═O) 2 NH— or trifluoromethyl;

all said methyl, ethyl, C 1 -C 3 alkyl, and cyclopropyl groups are optionally substituted with OH;

all said methyl groups are optionally substituted with one, two, or three F atoms;

R 0 is H, F, Cl, Br, I, CH 3 NH—, (CH 3 ) 2 N—, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, phenyl, monosubstituted phenyl, O(C 1 -C 4 alkyl), O—C(═O)(C 1 -C 4 alkyl) or C(═O)O(C 1 -C 4 alkyl); where

said alkyl, alkoxy, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and phenyl groups are optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, CN, cyanomethyl, nitro, phenyl and trifluoromethyl;

said C 1 -C 6 alkyl and C 1 -C 4 alkoxy groups are also optionally substituted with OCH 3 or OCH 2 CH 3 ;

G is G 1 , G 2 , R 1a , R 1b , R 1c , R 1d , R 1e , Ar 1 , Ar 2 or Ar 3 ; where

G 1 is C 1 -C 6 alkyl optionally substituted with one amino, or is a C 3 -C 8 diamino alkyl group;

G 2 is a 5- or 6-membered ring, which is saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic, containing 1-3 ring heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of O, and S, optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, OH, O(C 1 -C 3 alkyl), OCH 3 , OCH 2 CH 3 , CH 3 C(═O)NH, CH 3 C(═O)O, CN, CF 3 , and a 5-membered aromatic heterocyclic group containing 1-4 ring heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S;

R 1a is methyl, optionally substituted with 1-3 fluorine atoms or 1-3 chlorine atoms, or with OH, cyclopropoxy, or C 1 -C 3 alkoxy, where said cyclopropoxy group or the C 1 -C 3 alkyl moieties of said C 1 -C 3 alkoxy groups are optionally substituted with one hydroxy or methoxy group, and where all C 3 -alkyl groups within said C 1 -C 3 alkoxy are optionally further substituted with a second OH group;

R 1b is CH(CH 3 )—C 1-3 alkyl or C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, said alkyl and cycloalkyl groups optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, OCH 3 , and CN;

R 1c is (CH 2 ) n O m R′; where

m is 0 or 1; and where

when m is 0, n is 1 or 2;

when m is 1, n is 2 or 3;

R′ is C 1 -C 6 alkyl, optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, OH, OCH 3 , OCH 2 CH 3 , and C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl;

R 1d is C(A)(A′)(B)—; where

B is H or C 1-4 alkyl, optionally substituted with one or two OH groups;

A and A′ are independently H or C 1-4 alkyl, optionally substituted with one or two OH groups; or

A and A′, together with the carbon atom to which they are attached, form a 3- to 6-member saturated ring;

R 1e is

where

q is 1 or 2;

R 2 and R 3 are each independently, H, F, Cl, Br, CH 3 , CH 2 F, CHF 2 , CF 3 OCH 3 , OCH 2 F, OCHF 2 , OCF 3 , ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, cyclopropyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl or methylsulfonyl;

R 4 is H, F, Cl, Br, CH 3 , CH 2 F, CHF 2 , CF 3 OCH 3 , OCH 2 F, OCHF 2 , OCF 3 , ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, cyclopropyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, methylsulfonyl, nitro, acetamido, amidinyl, cyano, carbamoyl, methylcarbamoyl, dimethylcarbamoyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl, 5-methyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol, 1,3,4-thiadiazol, 5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol 1H-tetrazolyl, N-morpholyl carbonyl amino, N-morpholylsulfonyl or N-pyrrolidinylcarbonylamino;

R 5 is H, F, Cl or methyl;

R 6 is H, F, Cl or methyl;

Ar 1 is

where

U and V are, independently, N, CR 2 or CR 3 ;

R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are, independently, H, F, Cl, Br, CH 3 , CH 2 F, CHF 2 , CF 3 OCH 3 , OCH 2 F, OCHF 2 , OCF 3 , ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, cyclopropyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, acetamido, amidinyl, cyano, carbamoyl, methylcarbamoyl, dimethylcarbamoyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl, 5-methyl-1,3,4-oxadiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, 5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, 1H-tetrazolyl, N-morpholylcarbonylamino, N-morpholylsulfonyl, N-pyrrolidinylcarbonylamino, or methylsulfonyl;

R 5 and R 6 are, independently, H, F, Cl or methyl;

Ar 2 is

where

the dashed line represents alternative formal locations for the second ring double bond;

U is —S—, —O— or —N═, and where

when U is —O— or —S—, V is —CH═, —CCl═ or —N═;

when U is —N═, V is —CH═, —CCl═, or —N═;

R 7 is H or methyl;

R 8 is H, acetamido, methyl, F or Cl;

Ar 3 is

where

U is —NH—, —NCH 3 — or —O—; and

R 7 and R 8 are, independently, H, F, Cl, or methyl.

103 . A method according to claim 102 , which is for the treatment of an oncologic disease.

104 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein a compound of formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered.

105 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein the compound of formula I is selected from the group consisting of:

106 . A method according to claim 102 , which is for the treatment of an oncologic disease, and wherein the compound of formula I is selected from the group consisting of:

107 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein the compound of formula I is selected from the group consisting of:

where the 2-OH carbon is in the R configuration.

108 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein the compound of formula I is selected from the group consisting of:

where the 2-OH carbon is in the S configuration.

109 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein the compound of formula I is administered in combination with an additional therapy, which is radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of both.

110 . A method according to claim 102 , further comprising administering at least one additional therapeutic agent.

111 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein said proliferative disease is cancer.

112 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein said proliferative disease is cancer, which is brain cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, renal cancer, colorectal cancer, leukemia, myeloid leukemia, glioblastoma, follicular lymphona, pre-B acute leukemia, chronic lymphocytic B-leukemia, mesothelioma or small cell line cancer.

113 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein said proliferative disease is cancer, which is breast cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma or pancreatic cancer.

114 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein said proliferative disease is cancer, which is an ovarian, thyroid, hepatocellular or biliary carcinoma.

115 . A method according to claim 102 , wherein said proliferative disease is cancer, which is acute myeloid leukemia or multiple myeloma.

116 . A method according to claim 102 , which is for inhibiting tumor size increase, reducing the size of a tumor, or reducing tumor proliferation in an individual.

117 . A method according to claim 102 , which is for inhibiting tumor size increase, reducing the size of a tumor, or reducing tumor proliferation in an individual, wherein said tumor occurs in the brain, breast, lung, ovaries, pancreas, prostate, kidney, colon or rectum.