MIF inhibitors for the acute or chronic treatment of pulmonary hypertension

1. A method of treating pulmonary hypertension in a subject in need thereof, comprising

administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable enantiomer, salt or solvate thereof,

wherein said compound of Formula I is:

wherein:

Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group; and

R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, halo, nitro, cyano, carboxylic acid, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, C1-C8 acyl, and haloalkyl.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein Formula I is Formula Ia:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable enantiomer, salt or solvate thereof, wherein:

R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, halo, nitro, cyano, carboxylic acid, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, C1-C8 acyl, and haloalkyl;

Z 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, amido, aminoacid, carbamate, carbamide, carbonate, ester, thioester, phosphonate, phosphonate methyloxy, phosphonate methylamino, sulfonamide, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 4-amino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, and 3-hydroxythiophen-2-yl-metanone, or form with Z 2 an aryl ring, an heteroaryl ring, a cycloalkyl ring or a heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of oxo, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, amino, alkoxy, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl;

Z 2 represents a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, amido, aminoacid, carbamate, carbamide, carbonate, ester, thioester, phosphonate, phosphonate methyloxy, phosphonate methylamino, sulfonamide, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 4-amino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, and 3-hydroxythiophen-2-yl-metanone, or form with Z 1 or Z 3 an aryl ring, an heteroaryl ring, a cycloalkyl ring or a heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of oxo, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, amino, alkoxy, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl;

Z 3 represents a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, amido, aminoacid, carbamate, carbamide, carbonate, ester, thioester, phosphonate, phosphonate methyloxy, phosphonate methylamino, sulfonamide, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 4-amino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, and 3-hydroxythiophen-2-yl-metanone, or form with Z 2 or Z 4 an aryl ring, an heteroaryl ring, a cycloalkyl ring or a heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of oxo, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, amino, alkoxy, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl;

Z 4 represents a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, amido, aminoacid, carbamate, carbamide, carbonate, ester, thioester, phosphonate, phosphonate methyloxy, phosphonate methylamino, sulfonamide, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 4-amino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, and 3-hydroxythiophen-2-yl-metanone, or form with Z 3 or Z 5 an aryl ring, an heteroaryl ring, a cycloalkyl ring or a heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of oxo, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, amino, alkoxy, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl; and

Z 5 represents a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, amido, aminoacid, carbamate, carbamide, carbonate, ester, thioester, phosphonate, phosphonate methyloxy, phosphonate methylamino, sulfonamide, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 4-amino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, 3-hydroxythiophen-2-yl-metanone, or form with Z 4 an aryl ring, an heteroaryl ring, a cycloalkyl ring or a heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of oxo, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, amino, alkoxy, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein Formula I is Formula Ib:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable enantiomer, salt or solvate thereof, wherein

R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, halo, nitro, cyano, carboxylic acid, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, C1-C8 acyl, and haloalkyl; and

Z 1 , Z 2 , Z3, Z 4 and Z 5 independently represent a hydrogen atom or a group selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, amido, aminoacid, carbamate, carbamide, carbonate, ester, thioester, phosphonate, phosphonate methyloxy, phosphonate methylamino, sulfonamide, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 4-amino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, and 3-hydroxythiophen-2-yl-metanone, or form with Z 2 an aryl ring, an heteroaryl ring, a cycloalkyl ring or a heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from the group consisting of oxo, halo, hydroxyl, nitro, amino, alkoxy, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of Formula I is selected from the group consisting of:

3-(3-hydroxybenzyl)-5-methylbenzo[d]oxazole-2(3H)-thione,

3-(2-methoxybenzyl)-5-methylbenzo[d]oxazole-2(3H)-thione,

3-benzyl-5-methylbenzo[d]oxazole-2(3H)-thione,

3-(4-fluoro-3-hydroxybenzyl)-5-methylbenzo[d]oxazole-2(3H)-thione, and

3-(4-fluoro-3-hydroxybenzyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[d]oxazole-2(3H)-thione.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is at risk of developing pulmonary hypertension.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject is an adult, a teenager, a child, a young child or a new born child.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of administering is performed by topical, subcutaneous, oral, transdermal, nasal, parenteral, or intratracheal administration.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is used for acute treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is used for chronic treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulmonary hypertension is selected from Groups 1, 1′, 1″, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulmonary hypertension is pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the pulmonary arterial hypertension is selected from the group consisting of idiopathic PAH, heritable PAH, drug- and toxin-induced PAH, PAH associated with connective tissue diseases, PAH complication of HIV infection, portal hypertension; PAH associated with congenital heart diseases (CHD); and PAH associated with schistosomiasis.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, pyridine, indole, indazole, 7-azaindole, quinoline, quinolinone, dihydroquinolinone, dihydroquinaolinone, imidazole, pyrrole, or pyrazol, benzimidazolone, benzoxazolone, benzimidazole-thione, benzotriazole, benimidazole, benzoxazinone, indolinedione, hydroxypyridinone, and benzothiazolamine.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group is substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, amido, aminoacid, carbamate, carbamide, carbonate, ester, thioester, phosphonate, phosphonate methyloxy, phosphonate methylamino, sulfonamide, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 4-amino-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione, 3-hydroxythiophen-2-yl-metanone.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein Ar is substituted or unsubstituted phenyl.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl or haloalkyl.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are hydrogen, methyl or CF 3 .

19. The method of claim 2 , wherein one or more of Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 , Z 24 and Z 5 are H, F, Cl, Br, NO 2 , NH 2 , NMe 2 , OH, OMe, CH 3 or CF 3 .