Type II Raf kinase inhibitors

1. A compound of formula I:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, or prodrug thereof,

wherein,

ring D is aryl or heteroaryl;

R is halo, or -A-B;

A is NR A C(O), O, S(O) m , C(O), C(O)O, C(O)NR A , NR A C(O)NR A , or absent;

B is alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl, each of which is optionally substituted;

R 1 is hydroxyl, alkyl, alkoxy, C(O)OR A , C(O)NR A R B , or NR A R B , each of which may be is optionally substituted, or halo;

R′ is absent, or R and R′ together with the atoms to which each is attached, form a cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl ring, each of which is optionally substituted;

Z is NR A , O, CR 3 R 4 or S(O) m ;

R 3 is H or alkyl;

R 4 is H, alkyl, or absent;

ring E is 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine;

R Z is NR A R 2 ;

R 2 is H, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl, C(O)R A , C(O)OR A , C(O)NR A R B , C(NR B )R A , or C(NR B )OR A ;

R 5 is H, halo, alkyl, alkoxy, or thioalkoxy;

R 6 is H, NR A R B , or OR A ;

each R A is independently H, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted;

each R B is independently H, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted;

or, for each occurrence of NR A R B , R A and R B are taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached to form a 3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl ring;

each m is independently 0, 1, or 2; and

each n is independently 0 or 1.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein ring D is selected from phenyl, naphthyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, indanyl, idenyl, pyridinyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrrolo pyridinyl, thiazolo pyridinyl, imidazolyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, isooxazolyl, thiadiazolyl, oxadiazolyl, thiophenyl, furanyl, indazolyl, indolonyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, benzimidazolyl, benzooxazolyl, and quinoxalinyl.

3. The compound of claim 2 , wherein ring D is selected from phenyl, naphthyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrrolo pyridinyl, thiazolo pyridinyl, indazolyl, indolonyl, and quinolinyl.

4. A compound of formula IV:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof,

wherein,

R is H or -A-B;

A is NR A C(O), O, S(O) m , C(O), C(O)O, C(O)NR A , or absent;

B is alkyl or aryl, each of which is optionally substituted;

R 1 is alkyl, alkoxy, or halo; each of which is optionally substituted;

Z is NR A , O, or S(O) m ;

R 3 is H or alkyl;

R 4 is H or alkyl;

R 5 is H, halo, alkoxy, or thioalkoxy;

each R A is independently H, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted; and

each m is independently 0, 1, or 2.

5. The compound of claim 1 , of formula V:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof,

wherein,

R is -A-B;

A is NR A C(O), O, S(O) m , C(O), C(O)O, C(O)NR A , or absent;

B is alkyl or aryl, each of which is optionally substituted;

R 1 is alkyl, alkoxy, or halo; each of which is optionally substituted;

R 5 is H, halo, alkoxy, or thioalkoxy;

each R A is independently H, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl, or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted; and

m is 0, 1, or 2.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is of the formula:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

7. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester, salt, or prodrug thereof, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

8. A kit comprising a compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, or prodrug thereof, capable of inhibiting b-raf or b-raf mutation activity; and instructions for use in treating cancer.