Therapeutic compounds

1. A compound of formula I:

wherein:

ring A is a 3-15 membered cycloalkyl that is optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from halo, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, NR a R b , C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, or C 1-6 haloalkyl,

R 1 is hydrogen, halo, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, NR c R d , C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, or C 1-6 haloalkyl;

R 2 is hydrogen, halo, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, NR e R f , C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, or C 1-6 haloalkyl;

R 3 is hydrogen, halo, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, NR g R h , C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, or C 1-6 haloalkyl;

R 4 is hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, or C 1-6 haloalkyl;

R 5 is hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl, wherein the C 1-6 alkyl is optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from halo, aryl, heteroaryl, hydroxy, C 1-6 alkoxy, carboxy, or NR i R j ;

each of R a and R b is independently selected from H and C 1-6 alkyl, or R a and R b together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form aziridino, azetidino, morpholino, piperazino, pyrrolidino or piperidino;

each of R c and R d is independently selected from H and C 1-6 alkyl, or R c and R d together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form aziridino, azetidino, morpholino, piperazino, pyrrolidino or piperidino;

each of R e and R f is independently selected from H and C 1-6 alkyl, or R e and R f together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form aziridino, azetidino, morpholino, piperazino, pyrrolidino or piperidino; and

each of R g and R h is independently selected from H and C 1-6 alkyl, or R g and R h together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form aziridino, azetidino, morpholino, piperazino, pyrrolidino or piperidino; and

each of R i and R j is independently selected from H and C 1-6 alkyl, or R i and R j together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form aziridino, azetidino, morpholino, piperazino, pyrrolidino or piperidino;

or a salt thereof.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein A is a 6-12 membered cycloalkyl that is optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from halo, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, NR a R b , C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, or C 1-6 haloalkyl.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein A is a 8-11 membered cycloalkyl that is optionally substituted with one or more groups selected from halo, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, NR a R b , C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkoxy, or C 1-6 haloalkyl.

4. The compound of claim 1 , wherein A is adamantyl.

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 2 is hydrogen.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is hydrogen.

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 4 is hydrogen.

9. The compound of claim 1 , which is:

or a salt thereof.

10. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula I as described in claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

11. A method to treat cancer associated with activity of TOPK in an animal having said cancer comprising administering a compound of formula I as described in claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to the animal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of skin cancer, pancreatic cancer, bile duct carcinoma, neuroblastoma, colon cancer, breast cancer, myeloma, gastric cancer, liver cancer, glioblastoma, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer, small-cell lung cancer, large cell lung cancer, kidney cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, cervical cancer or lymphoma tumors.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cancer is skin cancer.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cancer is solar ultraviolet (SUV)-induced skin cancer.

15. A method to inhibit the activity of T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) in vitro or in vivo comprising contacting the kinase with a compound of formula I as described in claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.