Tropane derivatives having dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity for the treatment of ischemic diseases

1. A method for the inhibiting dopamine reuptake associated with reduced blood flow to the brain or with an instance of a temporary break in blood supply to the brain in a subject, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a tropane compound having dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the tropane compound is a compound of the general formula (I)

or a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt thereof or the N-oxide thereof, wherein:

R is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl or 2-hydroxyethyl;

R 3 is CH 2 —X—R′ wherein X is O or S and R′ is methyl, ethyl, propyl, or cyclopropylmethyl, or R 3 is CH═NOR′ wherein R′ is hydrogen or alkyl, or R 3 is 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl which may be substituted in the 3 position with alkyl; and

R 4 is 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl or R 4 is phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, or heteroaryl all of which may be substituted one or more times with substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, CF 3 , CN, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, amino, nitro, and heteroaryl.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tropane compound having dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity is selected from

(1R,2R,3S)-2-(3-Cyclopropyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-tropane-2-O-methyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-methyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(4-Methylphenyl)tropane-2-O-methyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(4-Chlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(4-Chlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-methylaldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-(2-methylpropyl)-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-cyclopropylmethyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-ethyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Methoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Isopropoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Ethoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Cyclopropylmethyloxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Methoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-methoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Ethoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-methoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-ethoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-ethoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-cyclopropylmethyloxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Cyclopropylmethyloxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Ethylthiomethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a disease to be treated is an ischemic disease, an anoxic episode, or an injury to the brain and other parts of the CNS caused by trauma or other injury.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the disease to be treated is selected from cerebrovascular disorder, cerebral ischemia or cerebral infarction resulting from tromboembolic or haemorrhagic stroke, cerebral vasospasm, hypoglycaemia, cardiac arrest, perinatal asphyxia, anoxia, anoxia resulting from near-drowning, pulmonary surgery or cerebral trauma.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a disease to be treated is selected from brain damage following or caused by: cerebral ischemia, cardiac arrest, cardiac surgery, stroke, neonatal hypoxia, hypoxia caused by compromised lung function, neonatal anoxia, anoxia caused by compromised lung function, cerebral trauma, secondary regional ischemia induced by brain oedema, increased intercranial pressure, open brain surgery, endarterectomy, surgical interventions involving temporary, artificially sustained arrest of cardiopulmonary functions resulting in impairment of cerebral blood flow, or emergency treatment involving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

6. A method for the treatment of cerebral ischemia in a subject, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a tropane compound having dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the tropane compound having dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity is a compound of the general formula (I)

or a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt thereof or the N-oxide thereof, wherein:

R is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl or 2-hydroxyethyl;

R 3 is CH 2 —X—R′ wherein X is O or S and R′ is methyl, ethyl, propyl, or cyclopropylmethyl, or R 3 is CH═NOR′ wherein R′ is hydrogen or alkyl, or R 3 is 1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl which may be substituted in the 3 position with alkyl; and

R 4 is 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl or R 4 is phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, or heteroaryl all of which may be substituted one or more times with substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, CF 3 , CN, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, amino, nitro, and heteroaryl.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the tropane compound having dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity is selected from

(1R,2R,3S)-2-(3-Cyclopropyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-tropane-2-O-methyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-methyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(4-Methylphenyl)tropane-2-O-methyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(4-Chlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(4-Chlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-methylaldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-(2-methylpropyl)-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-cyclopropylmethyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)tropane-2-O-ethyl-aldoxime;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Methoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Isopropoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Ethoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Cyclopropylmethyloxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Methoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-methoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Ethoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-methoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-ethoxymethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-ethoxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-N-Normethyl-2-cyclopropylmethyloxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Cyclopropylmethyloxymethyl-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-tropane;

(1R,2R,3S)-2-Ethylthiomethyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt thereof.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the tropane compound having dopamine reuptake inhibitor activity is (1R,2R,3S)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-tropane-2-O-methyl-aldoxime.