PPAR agonists

1. A compound, having a formula

or a salt thereof, wherein:

Z is R 1 L 1 C(O)—, or a carboxyl bioisostere;

R 1 is hydrogen, aliphatic, OR 1A , —NR 1A R 1B , —C(O)R 1A , —S(O) 2 R 1A , —S(O) 2 NR 1A R 1B or —C(O)NR 1A R 1B ;

each of R 1A , R 1B R 3a and R 3b independently is hydrogen or aliphatic;

L 1 is a bond or —NR 30 —, where R 30 is H;

L 2 is aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, arylene, heteroarylene, cycloalkylene, or heterocycloalkylene;

X is O;

ring A is phenyl;

ring B is selected from a cycloalkylene, heterocycloalkylene, arylene or heteroarylene;

each R 2 independently is aryl, heteroaryl, aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, cyano, NO 2 , OH, or amino or two adjacent R 2 groups form a fused ring system with ring B;

L 3 ′ is —C(O)—;

L 3 is C 1 -C 5 alkylene;

L 4 is selected from a bond, aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, arylene, heteroarylene, cycloalkylene, or heterocycloalkylene;

R 3 is selected from —OH, —OR 3A , —NR 3A R 3B , —C(O)R 3A , —S(O) 2 R 3A , —C(O)OR 3A , —S(O) 2 NR 3A R 3B , or —C(O)NR 3A R 3B , aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl;

each R 22 independently is selected from halogen, aryl, heteroaryl, aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, cyano, NO 2 , OH, or amino;

n is from 1 to 5; and

m is from 0 to 4;

with the provisos that

if -L 3 N(L 4 R 3 )L 3 - is —CH 2 N(L 4 R 3 )C(O)—, L 4 R 3 is n-propyl or isopropyl, ring A is phenyl, and n is 1 then R 2 is not 4-bromo or 4-benzo[d][1,3]dioxole;

and where the compound is not

ethyl 6-(2-((4-bromo-N-propylbenzamido)methyl)phenoxy)hexanoate;

ethyl 6-(2-((4-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-N-propylbenzamido)methyl)phenoxy)hexanoate;

6-(2-((4-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-N-propylbenzamido)methyl)phenoxy)hexanoic acid;

ethyl 6-(2-((4-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-N-isopropylbenzamido)methyl)phenoxy)hexanoate;

6-(2-((4-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-N-isopropylbenzamido)methyl)phenoxy)hexanoic acid.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein ring B is selected from phenyl, pyridine, thiophene, thiazole, pyrazole, oxazole, isoxazole, benzo[b]furan, indazole, piperidine, cyclohexane, piperidin-2-one, piperazine-2,5-dione or quinazolin-4(3H)-one.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the carboxyl bioisostere is selected from

and

X 7 , Y 7 , and Z 7 are each independently selected from N, CH 2 or CO;

X 8 is selected from 0, S or NMe; and

X 9 is selected from O, N, NH, S, CH or CH 2 .

4. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound has a formula selected from:

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is selected from alkyl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L 2 is alkylene, and L 4 is selected from a bond or alkylene.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L 4 R 3 is isopropyl, cyclopropyl, cyclopentyl, sec-butyl, benzyl, morpholinopropyl, or (2-pyridinyl)ethyl.

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein each R 2 independently is cyano, NO 2 , or OH.

9. The compound of claim 1 , wherein each R 2 independently is alkyloxy, haloalkyloxy, cycloalkyloxy, haloalkyl, alkyl, amino, heterocyclic, aryl, cycloaliphatic or heteroaryl.

10. The compound of claim 1 , wherein n is from 2 to 4, and two adjacent R 2 groups form a fused ring system with ring B.

11. The compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one R 2 is para to L 3 and is selected from phenyl, 3-pyridinyl, 4-pyridinyl, furan-2-yl, furan-3-yl, thiophen-2-yl,

12. The compound of claim 1 , wherein n is 1 and R 2 is furan-2-yl or furan-3-yl.

13. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L 2 is

14. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L 2 is C 1-6 linear or branched alkylene.

15. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and a compound of claim 1 .