Sigma Ligands For the Prevention or Treatment of Pain Induced by Chemotherapy

1 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . A method of treating pain induced by chemotherapy in a patient being treated by chemotherapy, or prophylaxis against pain induced by chemotherapy in a patient likely to suffer pain as a result of a chemotherapeutic treatment, which comprises administering to the patient in need of such a treatment or prophylaxis a therapeutically effective amount of a Sigma ligand of formula (I)

wherein

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O)NR 8 R 9 , —CH═NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N═CR 8 R 9 , and halogen;

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O)NR 8 R 9 , —CH—NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N═CR 8 R 9 , and halogen;

R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O)NR 8 R 9 , —CH═NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N—CR 8 R 9 , and halogen, or together they form a optionally substituted fused ring system;

R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O)NR 8 R 9 , —CH═NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N═CR 8 R 9 , and halogen, or together form, with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclyl group;

n is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;

t is selected from 1, 2 and 3;

R 8 and R 9 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy, and halogen;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, isomer, prodrug or solvate thereof.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of H, —COR 8 , and substituted or unsubstituted alkyl.

22 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein R 2 is H or alkyl.

23 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein R 3 and R 4 together form a fused naphthyl ring system.

24 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein R 5 and R 6 together form a morpholine-4-yl group.

25 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the sigma ligand of formula (I) is 4-{2-[5-Methyl-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yloxy]ethyl} morpholine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, isomer, prodrug or solvate thereof.

26 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the sigma ligand of formula (I) is 4-{2-[5-Methyl-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yloxy]ethyl} morpholine hydrochloride.

27 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the chemotherapeutic treatment comprises a chemotherapeutic drug which is a taxane, a vinca alkaloid, a drug derived from platinum, thalidomide or a derivative thereof.

28 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the chemotherapeutic treatment comprises a chemotherapeutic drug which is paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, cisplatin, vincristine or thalidomide.

29 . The method according to claim 20 , for the simultaneous treatment and/or prevention of pain induced by chemotherapy and cancer.

30 . A method of treatment of a patient suffering from cancer which comprises administering to the patient a Sigma ligand of formula (I)

wherein

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O)NR 8 R 9 , —CH—NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N═CR 8 R 9 , and halogen;

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O)NR 8 R 9 , —CH—NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N═CR 8 R 9 , and halogen;

R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O) NR 8 R 9 , —CH—NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N═CR 8 R 9 , and halogen, or together they form a optionally substituted fused ring system;

R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclylalkyl, —COR 8 , —C(O)OR 8 , —C(O)NR 8 R 9 , —CH—NR 8 , —CN, —OR 8 , —OC(O)R 8 , —S(O) t —R 8 , —NR 8 R 9 , —NR 8 C(O)R 9 , —NO 2 , —N═CR 8 R 9 , and halogen, or together form, with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclyl group;

n is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;

t is selected from 1, 2 and 3;

R 8 and R 9 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy, and halogen;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, isomer, prodrug or solvate thereof

in an amount effective to alleviate pain induced by a chemotherapeutic drug.

31 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of H, —COR 8 , and substituted or unsubstituted alkyl.

32 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein R 2 is H or alkyl.

33 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein R 3 and R 4 together form a fused naphthyl ring system.

34 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein R 5 and R 6 together form a morpholine-4-yl group.

35 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein the sigma ligand of formula (I) is 4-{2-[5-Methyl-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yloxy]ethyl} morpholine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, isomer, prodrug or solvate thereof.

36 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein the sigma ligand of formula (I) is 4-{2-[5-Methyl-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yloxy]ethyl} morpholine hydrochloride.

37 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein the chemotherapeutic drug is a taxane, a vinca alkaloid, a drug derived from platinum, thalidomide or a derivative thereof.

38 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein the chemotherapeutic drug is paclitaxel, oxaliplatin, cisplatin, vincristine or thalidomide.