Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase inhibitors

1. A method of treating a disease in a human patient selected from autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, cardio-renal diseases, selected from kidney disease and fibrotic diseases, respiratory diseases selected from COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and acute lung injury, acute and chronic liver diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, comprising administering a therapeutic amount of a compound of Formula (I):

wherein:

R 1 is C 1 -C 3 alkyl or C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, wherein the alkyl or cycloalkyl is optionally substituted with one to three halogen atoms;

R 2 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 6 alkyl wherein the alkyl is optionally substituted with halo;

R 3 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 3 alkyl;

R 4 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 3 alkyl;

R 5 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 3 alkyl, OR a or —NHR a ;

R 6 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 3 alkyl, C 1 -C 3 haloalkyl, or C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl wherein the cycloalkyl is optionally substituted with C 1 -C 3 alkyl, C 1 -C 3 haloalkyl, or 1 or 2 halogen atoms;

R a and R b are independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 3 alkyl or R a and R b combine with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached to form a four to six member heterocyclic ring optionally containing an oxygen or a nitrogen atom in the ring;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

R 1 is C 1 -C 3 alkyl or C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, wherein the alkyl or cycloalkyl is optionally substituted with one to three halogen atoms;

R 2 is hydrogen;

R 3 is hydrogen;

R 4 and R 5 are both hydrogen;

R 6 is C 1 -C 3 alkyl, or C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl;

R a and R b are independently hydrogen or C 1 -C 3 alkyl; or R a and R b combine with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached to form a four to six member heterocyclic group optionally containing an oxygen atom in the ring; wherein the heterocyclic group is further optionally substituted with one or two groups independently selected from C 1 -C 3 alkyl and hydroxyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

R 1 is C 1 -C 3 alkyl or cyclopropyl, wherein the alkyl group is substituted with three fluoro atoms;

R 2 is hydrogen;

R 3 is hydrogen;

R 4 and R 5 are both hydrogen;

R 6 is cyclopropyl;

R a and R b are both C 1 -C 3 alkyl or R a and R b combined with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached to form a four to six member heterocyclic group optionally containing an oxygen atom in the ring; wherein the heterocyclic group is further optionally substituted with one or two groups selected from C 1 -C 3 alkyl and hydroxyl;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof.

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

namely 4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-N-(2-(4-cyclopropyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)-5-morpholinopicolinamide;

namely 4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-N-(2-(4-cyclopropyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)-5-(3-hydroxy-3-methylazetidin-1-yl)picolinamide;

namely (S)-4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-5-morpholino-N-(2-(4-(1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)picolinamide;

namely (S)-4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-5-(3-hydroxy-3-methylazetidin-1-yl)-N-(2-(4-(1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)picolinamide; and

namely (S)-4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-5-(dimethylamino)-N-(2-(4-(1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-y1)-4H-1 ,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)picolinamide; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is;

namely (S)-4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-5-(dimethylamino)-N-(2-(4-(1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-y1)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)picolinamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enatiomer thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is;

namely (S)-4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-5-(3-hydroxy-3-methylazetidin-1-yl)-N-(2-(4-(1,1,1-trifluoropropan-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)picolinamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is;

namely 4-(4-cyclopropyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-N-(2-(4-cyclopropyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thiazol-4-yl)-5-(3-hydroxy-3-methylazetidin-1-yl)picolinamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof.

8. A method of treating chronic kidney disease comprising administering a therapeutically effect amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

9. A method of treating lung fibrosis or kidney fibrosis comprising administering a therapeutically effect amount of a compound according to claim 1 to patient in need thereof.