Aryl- and heteroaryl-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines and use thereof to block reuptake of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin

1. A process for preparation of a product compound of Formula (I):

wherein:

the carbon atom designated * is in the R or S configuration;

X is a fused bicyclic carbocycle or heterocycle selected from the group consisting of benzofuranyl, benzo[b]thiophenyl, benzoisothiazolyl, benzoisoxazolyl, indazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, indolizinyl, benzoimidazolyl, benzooxazolyl, benzothiazolyl, benzotriazolyl, imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinyl, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridinyl, [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridinyl, thieno[2,3-b]pyridinyl, thieno[3,2-b]pyridinyl, 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridinyl, indenyl, indanyl, dihydrobenzocycloheptenyl, tetrahydrobenzocycloheptenyl, dihydrobenzothiophenyl, dihydrobenzofuranyl, indolinyl, naphthyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl,4H-quinolizinyl, 9aH-quinolizinyl, quinazolinyl, cinnolinyl, phthalazinyl, quinoxalinyl, benzo[1,2,3]triazinyl, benzo[1,2,4]triazinyl, 2H-chromenyl, 4H-chromenyl, and a fused bicyclic carbocycle or fused bicyclic heterocycle optionally substituted with substituents (1 to 4 in number) as defined below in R 14 ;

R 1 is H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, or C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with from 1 to 3 substituents independently selected at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of: C 1 -C 3 alkyl, halogen, aryl, —CN, —OR 9 , and —NR 9 R 10 ;

R 2 is H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, or C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with from 1 to 3 substituents independently selected at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of: C 1 -C 3 alkyl, halogen, aryl, —CN, —OR 9 , and —NR 9 R 10 ; or

R 2 is gem-dimethyl;

R 3 is H, halogen, —OR 11 , —S(O) n R 12 , —CN, —C(O)R 12 , —C(O)NR 11 R 12 , —NR 9 R 10 , C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, or C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, wherein each of C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, and C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl is optionally substituted with from 1 to 3 substituents independently selected at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of: C 1 -C 3 alkyl, halogen, —CN, —OR 9 , —NR 9 R 10 , and phenyl, which is optionally substituted 1 to 3 times with a substituent selected from the group consisting of: halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, —CN, and —OR 9 ;

R 4 is H, halogen, —OR 11 , —S(O) n R 12 , —CN, —C(O)R 12 , —C(O)NR 11 R 12 , —NR 9 R 10 , C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, or C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, wherein each of the C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, and C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl is optionally substituted with from 1 to 3 substituents independently selected at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of: C 1 -C 3 alkyl, halogen, —CN, —OR 9 , —NR 9 R 10 , and phenyl, which is optionally substituted 1 to 3 times with a substituent selected from the group consisting of: halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, —CN, and —OR 9 ; or

R 4 is phenyl, naphthyl, indenyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, pyrazinyl, [1,2,4]triazinyl, [1,3,5]triazinyl, triazolyl, furanyl, thiophenyl, pyranyl, indazolyl, benzimidazolyl, quinolinyl, quinazolinyl, quinoxalinyl, phthalazinyl, cinnolinyl, isoquinolinyl, thienyl, imidazolyl, thiazolyl, benzthiazolyl, purinyl, isothiazolyl, indolyl, pyrrolyl, oxazolyl, benzofuranyl, benzothienyl, benzthiazolyl, isoxazolyl, pyrazolyl, oxadiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, 3-oxo-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridinyl, imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinyl, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridinyl, [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridinyl, thieno[2,3-b]pyridinyl, thieno[3,2-b]pyridinyl, 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridinyl, or other heterocycles optionally substituted with substituents (1 to 4 in number) as defined below in R 14 ;

R 5 and R 6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: H, halogen, —OR 11 ,—S(O) n R 12 , —CN, —C(O)R 12 , —C(O)NR 11 R 12 , —NR 9 R 10 , C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, and C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, wherein each of C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, and phenyl is optionally substituted with from 1 to 3 substituents independently selected at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of: C 1 -C 3 alkyl, halogen, —CN, —OR 9 , —NR 9 R 10 , and phenyl, which is optionally substituted 1 to 3 times with a substituent selected from the group consisting of: halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, —CN, and —OR 9 ;

R 7 is H;

R 8 is H, halogen, —OR 9 , —SR 9 , C 1 -C 6 alkyl, —CN, or —NR 9 R 10 ;

R 9 and R 10 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxyalkyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, —C(O)R 13 , phenyl, and benzyl, where phenyl or benzyl is optionally substituted from 1 to 3 times with a substituent selected independently at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of: halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, and C 1 -C 4 alkoxy; or

R 9 and R 10 are taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form a piperidine, pyrrolidine, piperazine, N-methylpiperazine, morpholine, thiomorpholine, [1,2]oxazinane, isoxazolidine, or 2-oxo-2H-pyridine, which is optionally substituted from 1 to 3 times with a substituent selected independently at each occurrence thereof from the group consisting of, halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, and C 1 -C 4 alkoxy;

R 11 is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxyalkyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, —C(O)R 13 , phenyl, or benzyl, where phenyl or benzyl is optionally substituted 1 to 3 times with halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, or C 1 -C 4 alkoxy;

R 12 is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxyalkyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, phenyl, or benzyl, where phenyl or benzyl is optionally substituted 1 to 3 times with halogen, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, or C 1 -C 4 alkoxy; or

R 11 and R 12 are taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form a piperidine, pyrrolidine, piperazine, N-methylpiperazine, morpholine, or thiomorpholine ring, with the proviso that only one of R 9 and R 10 or R 11 and R 12 are taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form a piperidine, pyrrolidine, piperazine, N-methylpiperazine, morpholine, or thiomorpholine ring;

R 13 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, or phenyl;

n is 0, 1, or 2; and

R 14 is independently selected at each occurrence from a substituent selected from the group consisting of: halogen, —NO 2 , —OR 11 , —NR 11 R 12 , —NR 11 C(O)R 12 , —NR 11 C(O) 2 R 12 , —NR 11 C(O)NR 12 R 13 , —S(O) n R 12 , —CN, —C(O)R 12 , —C(O)NR 11 R 12 , C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, and C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl, where C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, and C 4 -C 7 cycloalkylalkyl are optionally substituted with 1 to 3 substituents independently selected at each occurrence from the group consisting of: C 1 -C 3 alkyl, halogen, aryl, —CN, —OR 9 , and —NR 9 R 10 ;

said process comprising:

treating a second intermediate compound of Formula (VIII):

wherein Y is Br, I, or OSO 2 CF 3 , with an aryl or heteroaryl boronic acid or aryl or heteroaryl boronic acid ester, under conditions effective to produce the product compound.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein treating comprises reacting with an aryl or heteroaryl boronic acid or aryl or heteroaryl boronic acid ester in the presence of a metal catalyst and optionally a base in an inert solvent.

3. The process according to claim 1 further comprising:

cyclizing a third intermediate compound of Formula (VII)

under conditions effective to produce the second intermediate compound of Formula (VIII).

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein cyclizing comprises treating the third intermediate compound of Formula (VII) with a strong acid.

5. The process according to claim 3 , further comprising:

treating a fourth intermediate compound of Formula (VI):

with a reducing agent, under conditions effective to produce the third intermediate compound of Formula (VII).

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium borohydride, lithium borohydride, borane, diisobutylaluminum hydride, and lithium aluminum hydride.