Macrocyclic compounds as protein kinase inhibitors

1. A method of treatment of a cancer, by administering to a patient suffering from, or susceptible to the cancer, wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, ovary cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, melanoma, colon-rectum cancer, oral cancer, B-cell lymphoma, T-cell-lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Burkett's lymphoma; hematopoietic tumors of myeloid lineage, and tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system,

which method comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula I:

wherein:

ring A and ring B represent a fused bicyclic group of any one of the following formulae:

wherein

in formula IA: W 1a is CH, CF or N; W 2a is CH, CF or N; W 3a is CR 4a or N; W 4a is CR 5a or N; W 5a is CR 6a or N;

in formula IB: W 1b is CH, CF or N; W 2b is CH, CF or N; W 3b is CR 4b or N; W 4b is C or N; W 5b is CR 6b or N; W 6b is C or N; W 7b is C or N, and wherein when W 3b represents N, W 4b and W 6b represent C and W 5b represents C or N, then R* is hydrogen (in all other cases R* is absent);

in formula IC: W 1c is CH, CR t1 , N, NR q1 , O or S; W 2c is CH, CR t2 , N, NR q2 , O or S; W 3c is C or N; W 4c is CR 5c or N; W 5c is CR 6c or N; W 6C is C or N;

in formula ID: W 1d is CH, CR t3 , N, NR q3 , O or S; W 2d is CH, CR t4 , N, NR q4 , O or S; W 3d is C or N; W 4d is CR 5d or N; W 5d is C or N; W 6d is C or N;

each R t1 , R t2 , R t3 , and R t4 is independently selected from halo, C 1-3 alkyl or C 3 cycloalkyl, a 3- to 5-membered heterocycloalkyl group, —OR s1 , —CN, —N(R s2 )R s3 , —S(O) w1 CH 3 or —C(O)CH 3 ;

w1 represents 0, 1 or 2;

each R s1 , R s2 and R 3s independently represent hydrogen or C 1-2 alkyl;

each R q1 , R q2 , R q3 and R q4 is independently selected from C 1-3 alkyl or C 3 cycloalkyl, a 3- to 5-membered heterocycloalkyl group or —C(O)CH 3 ;

each R 1 , R 2a , R 2b , R 2c , R 3 , R 4a , R 5a , R 6a , R 4b , R 6b , R 5c , R 6c , and R 5d are independently selected from hydrogen or a substituent selected from halo, —CN, —C(O)N(R f1 )R f2 , —C(O)R f3 , —N(R f4 )R f5 , —C(O)OR f6 , —OR f7 , —OC(O)—R f8 , —S(O) w2 CH 3 , C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl and a 3- to 8-membered heterocycloalkyl groups, which latter three groups are optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and E 1 ;

w2 represents 0, 1 or 2;

R f1 , R f2 , R f4 , R f5 and R f7 independently represent hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and E 2 ; or R f1 and R f2 and/or R f4 and R f5 may be linked together to form a 4- to 8- membered ring optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from C 1-3 alkyl, C 3 cycloalkyl and halo;

R f3 , R f6 and R f8 independently represent C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and E 2 ;

X represents a direct bond, —C(R a )(R b )—, —O—, —S—, —N(R c )—, —N(R d )C(O)—, —C(O)N(R e )—or —N(R f )—C(O)—N(R g )—;

Y represents -arylene-, -heteroarylene- (which latter two groups are optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from E 3 ), -heterocycloalkylene- or —C 1-12 alkylene- (which latter two groups are optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and E 4 );

R N represents hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and E 5 ;

Z represents -(A x ) 1-7 -, wherein each A x independently represents —C(R x1 )(R x2 )—, —N(R x3 )—, —C(O)—, —O—, —S—, —S(O)— or —S(O) 2 —;

R x1 , R x2 and R x3 each independently represent hydrogen or a substituent selected from E x ;

each E x independently represents halo, —C(O)R y1 , —N(R y2 )—C(O)—N(R y3 )(R y4 ), C 1-6 alkyl or heterocycloalkyl (both of which latter two groups are optionally substituted by one or more halo atoms);

R y1 , R y2 , R y3 and R y4 each independently represent hydrogen or C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more halo atoms;

each R a , R b , R c , R d , R e , R f and R g independently represent hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more halo atoms;

each E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , E 4 and E 5 independently represents, on each occasion when used herein:

(i) Q 4 ;

(ii) C 1-12 alkyl or C 3-12 cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl, each of which is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and Q 5 ;

any two E 1 , E 2 , E 3 , E 4 and/or E 5 groups, may be linked together to form a 3- to 12-membered ring, optionally containing one or more unsaturations, and which ring is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and J 1 ;

each Q 4 and Q 5 independently represent, on each occasion when used herein:

halo, —CN, —N(R 20 )R 21 , —OR 20 , —C(═Y 1 )—R 20 , —C(═Y 1 )—OR 20 , —C(═Y 1 )N(R 20 )R 21 , —C(═Y 1 )N(R 20 )—O—R 21a , —OC(═Y 1 )—R 20 , —OC(═Y 1 )—OR 20 , —OC(═Y 1 )N(R 20 )R 21 , —OS(O) 2 OR 20 , —OP(═Y 1 )(OR 20 )(OR 21 ), —OP(OR 20 )(OR 21 ), —N(R 22 )C(═Y 1 )R 21 , —N(R 22 )C(═Y 1 )OR 21 , —N(R 22 )C(═Y 1 )N(R 20 )R 21 , —NR 22 S(O) 2 R 20 , —NR 22 S(O) 2 N(R 20 )R 21 , —S(O) 2 N(R 20 )R 21 , —SC(═Y 1 )R 20 , —SC(═Y 1 )OR 20 , —SC(═Y 1 )N(R 20 )R 21 , —S(O) 2 R 20 , —SR 20 , —S(O)R 20 , —S(O) 2 OR 20 , C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl (which latter three groups are optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and J 2 );

each Y 1 independently represents, on each occasion when used herein, ═O, ═S, ═NR 23 or ═N—CN;

each R 21a represents C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl (which latter three groups are optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from J 4 and ═O);

each R 20 , R 21 , R 22 and R 23 independently represent, on each occasion when used herein, hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl (which latter three groups are optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from J 4 and ═O); or

any relevant pair of R 20 , R 21 and R 22 , may be linked together to form a 4- to 20- membered ring, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms, optionally containing one or more unsaturations, and which ring is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from J 6 and ═O;

each J 1 , J 2 , J 4 and J 6 independently represents, on each occasion when used herein:

(i) Q 7 ;

(ii) C 1-6 alkyl, C 3-6 cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl, each of which is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and Q 8 ;

each Q 7 and Q 8 independently represents, on each occasion when used herein:

halo, —CN, —N(R 50 )R 51 , —OR 50 , —C(═Y a )—R 50 , —C(═Y a )—OR 50 , —C(═Y a )N(R 50 )R 51 , —N(R 52 )C(═Y a )R 51 , —NR 52 S(O) 2 R 50 , —S(O) 2 N(R 50 )R 51 , —N(R 52 )—C(═Y a )—N(R 50 )R 51 , —S(O) 2 R 50 , —SR 50 , —S(O)R 50 , C l-6 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl (optionally substituted by one or more fluoro atoms) or heterocycloalkyl (optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from halo, —OR 60 and —N(R 61 )R 62 );

each Y a independently represents, on each occasion when used herein, ═O, ═S, ═NR 53 or ═N—CN;

each R 50 , R 51 , R 52 and R 53 independently represents, on each occasion when used herein, hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, or C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from fluoro, —OR 60 and —N(R 61 )R 62 ; or

any relevant pair of R 50 , R 51 and R 52 may be linked together to form, a 3- to 8-membered ring, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms, optionally containing one or more unsaturations, and which ring is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from ═O and C 1-3 alkyl;

R 60 , R 61 and R 62 independently represent hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, or C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more fluoro atoms;

wherein any heterocycloalkyl group may be selected from non-aromatic monocyclic and bicyclic heterocycloalkyl groups in which one to four of the atoms in the ring system is a heteroatom selected from N, O or S, and in which the total number of atoms in the ring system is from five to ten, wherein the heterocycloalkyl group may be bridged, and wherein the heterocycloalkyl group may be saturated or unsaturated containing one or more double and/or triple bonds,

wherein any heteroaryl group may be selected from an aromatic group containing one to four heteroatom(s) selected from N, O or S, wherein the heteroaryl group comprises five to ten atoms in the ring system, and wherein the heteroaryl group is monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic, provided that at least one of the rings is aromatic, and that when the heteroaryl group is bicyclic or tricyclic it is linked to the rest of the molecule via an aromatic ring,

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cancer is astrocytoma.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cancer is acute myelogenous leukemias.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cancer is non-small cell lung cancer.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cancer is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein ring A and ring B represents a fused bicyclic group of the following structure (optional substituents are not shown):

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

Y represents arylene, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene or C 1-6 alkylene, all of which groups are optionally substituted by one of the following groups:

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

X represents —N(R c )— or a direct bond; and/or

Z represents —C(O)-[T 1 ]- or —C(O)N(R x3 )-[T 1 ]-, in which T 1 represents —(CH 2 ) 0-4 -T 2 - and T 2 represents a direct bond or —C(O)—N(H)—CH 2 —.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the following: