Galactokinase inhibitors for the treatment and prevention of associated diseases and disorders

1. A method of treating galactosemia in a patient, the method comprising:

introducing a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (I) or a salt thereof to a patient having galactosemia to inhibit the enzymatic activity of galactokinase in the patient having galactosemia:

wherein R 1 is hydrogen,

wherein is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl,

wherein R 3 is selected from the group consisting of —NH-alkyl, —NH-cycloalkyl, —NH-aryl, —NH-alkylaryl, —NH-heteroaryl, and —NR 12 R 13 wherein R 12 and R 13 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, and heteroaryl, or wherein R 12 and R 13 together form a heteroaryl or a heterocycloalkyl,

wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl, or

wherein R 3 and R 4 together form a group of the formula:

wherein R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl,

wherein m is 0 or 1,

wherein R 5 is heteroaryl,

wherein alkyl, aryl, heterocycloalkyl, carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring, arylalkyl, and heteroaryl groups are unsubstituted or optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, halo, trifluoromethyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, alkylamino, and dialkylamino,

with the proviso that when R 5 is benzoxazol-2-yl, R 1 is hydrogen, R 2 is phenyl, R 3 and R4 together form

and m is 1, R 10 and R 11 are not simultaneously methyl.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 5 is selected from the group consisting of benzoxazol-2-yl, 5-bromo-benzoxazol-2-yl, 5-methyl-benzoxazol-2-yl, 6-methyl-benzoxazol-2-yl, 6-phenyl-benzoxazol-2-yl, benzoimidazol-2-yl, benzothiazol-2-yl, indol-1-yl, indol-2-yl, indol-3-yl, furan-2-yl, furan-3-yl, thiophene-2-yl, thiophene-3-yl, imidazol-1-yl, imidazol-4-yl, thiazol-2-yl, thiazol-4-yl, pyrazol-3-yl, pyrazol-4-yl, pyridin-2-yl, pyridin-3-yl, and pyridin-4-yl.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the R 5 is selected from the group consisting of benzoxazol-2-yl, 5-bromo-benzoxazol-2-yl, 5-methyl-benzoxazol-2-yl, 6-methyl benzoxazol-2-yl, and 6-phenyl-benzoxazol-2-yl.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 5 is benzoxazol-2-yl.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 3 and R 4 together form

wherein m is 1, and wherein the compound has the formula (Ia):

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 2 is phenyl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, and dialkylamino.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 2 is heteroaryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, and dialkylamino.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein R 8 is hydrogen and R 9 is hydrogen or phenyl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, alkylamino, and dialkylamino, or heteroaryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, alkylamino, and dialkylamino.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein R 9 is phenyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, alkoxy, and dialkylamino.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein R 9 is heteroaryl selected from the group consisting of 5-methylthiophene-2-yl, pyridine-3-yl, pyridine-4-yl, 2-chloropyridin-4-yl, 3-trifluoropyridin-2-yl, 4-trifluoromethylpyridin-3-yl, 2-chloropyridin-3-yl, 2-bromopyridin-3-yl, 3-methylthiophene-2-yl, 3-bromopyridin-4-yl, 4-bromopyrazol-3-yl, 4-bromo-1-methylpyrazol-3-yl, 3-bromopyridin-4-yl, 4-chloro-1-methylpyrazol-3-yl, pyrazol-3-yl, 5-methylpyrazol-3-yl, and 4-chloro-1-methylpyrazol-3-yl.

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

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is selected from the group consisting of —NH-alkyl, —NH-cycloalkyl, —NH-aryl, —NH-alkylaryl, —NH-heteroaryl, and —NR 12 R 13 wherein R 12 and R 13 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, and heteroaryl, or wherein R 12 and R 13 together form a heteroaryl or a heterocycloalkyl,

wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl,

wherein R 5 is heteroaryl, and

wherein alkyl, aryl, heterocycloalkyl, carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring, arylalkyl, and heteroaryl groups are unsubstituted or optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, halo, trifluoromethyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, alkylamino, and dialkylamino.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:

14. A method of treating galactosemia in a patient, the method comprising:

introducing a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (Ic) or a salt thereof to a patient having galactosemia to inhibit the enzymatic activity of galactokinase in the patient having galactosemia:

wherein R 3 is selected from the group consisting of —NH-alkyl, —NH-cycloalkyl, —NH-aryl, —NH-alkylaryl, —NH-heteroaryl, and —NR 12 R 13 wherein R 12 and R 13 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, and heteroaryl, or wherein R 12 and R 13 together form a heteroaryl or heterocycloalkyl,

wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl,

wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of CHR 10 , O, S, and SO 2 ,

wherein R 10 and R 14 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and aryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, trifluoromethyl, alkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, and dialkylamino, and

wherein o is 0, 1, or 2

wherein R 5 is heteroaryl,

wherein alkyl, aryl, heterocycloalkyl, carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring, arylalkyl, and heteroaryl groups are unsubstituted or optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, halo, trifluoromethyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, alkylamino, and dialkylamino.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound is delivered with a pharmaceutical carrier.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is deficient in GALT.

18. A method of treating galactosemia in a patient, the method comprising:

introducing a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (I) or a salt thereof to a patient having galactosemia to inhibit the enzymatic activity of galactokinase in the patient having galactosemia:

wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl or wherein R 1 and R 2 , taken together, along with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, form a 5- to 7-membered carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring,

wherein R 3 and R 4 together form

wherein m is 1,

wherein the compound has the formula (Ia):

wherein R 6 , R 7 , R 10 , and R 11 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl,

wherein R 8 is hydrogen,

wherein R 9 is heteroaryl selected from the group consisting of 5-methylthiophene-2-yl, pyridine-3-yl, pyridine-4-yl, 2-chloropyridin-4-yl, 3-trifluoropyridin-2-yl, 4-trifluoromethylpyridin-3-yl, 2-chloropyridin-3-yl, 2-bromopyridin-3-yl, 3-methylthiophene-2-yl, 3-bromopyridin-4-yl, 4-bromopyrazol-3-yl, 4-bromo-1-methylpyrazol-3-yl, 3-bromopyridin-4-yl, 4-chloro-1-methylpyrazol-3-yl, pyrazol-3-yl, 5-methylpyrazol-3-yl, and 4-chloro-1-methylpyrazol-3-yl,

wherein R 5 is heteroaryl,

wherein alkyl, aryl, heterocycloalkyl, carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring, arylalkyl, and heteroaryl groups are unsubstituted or optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, halo, trifluoromethyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, alkylamino, and dialkylamino,

with the proviso that when R 5 is benzoxazol-2-yl, R′ is hydrogen, R 2 is phenyl, R 3 and R4 together form

and m is 1, R 10 and R 11 are not simultaneously methyl.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the compound is delivered with a pharmaceutical carrier.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the compound is delivered with a pharmaceutical carrier.