Lipoic acid heterocyclic or benzene derivatives, preparation and use thereof as medicines

1. A compound of the formula

wherein n is an integer from 0 to 6;

R 1 and R 2 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

X-Y is selected from the group consisting of —O—(CH 2 ) r —, —N(R 3 )—(CH 2 ) r —, —CO(CH 2 ) r —, —CO—N(R 3 )—(CH 2 ) r —, —N(R 4 )—CO—(CH 2 ) r —, and —N(R 3 )—CO—N(R 4 )—(CH 2 )—,

X′-Y′ is selected from the group consisting of —(CH 2 ) r —, —(CH 2 )—O—(CH 2 ) r —, —(CH 2 ) r —N(R 3 )—(CH 2 ) r —, —(CH 2 ) r —CO(CH 2 ) r —, —(CH 2 ) r —CO—N(R 3 )—(CH 2 ) r , —(CH 2 ) r —N(R 4 )—CO—(CH 2 ) r — and —(CH 2 ) r —N(R 3 )—CO—N(R 4 )—(CH 2 ) r —,

R 3 and R 4 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy-carbonyl and aralkoxycarbonyl;

r is independently each time that it occurs an integer from 0 to 6;

Ω is selected from the group consisting of aromatic heterocycle with 5 or 6 members, a non-aromatic heterocycle with 5 or 6 members, a non-aromatic heterocycle with 4 to 7 members and phenylene substituted by R 5 , R 5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms and —(CH 2 ) m —;

Q is selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxyl, cyano, amino, alkoxy, alkylamino and dialkylamino, m is an integer from 0 to 6;

P is —(CH 2 ) g —, g is an integer from 0 to 6, or P is

 wherein R 6 is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms and —(CH 2 ) n —Q′,

Q′ is halogen, trifluoromethyl, hydroxyl, amino, cyano, alkoxycarbonylamino, aralkoxycarbonylamino, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino and dialkylamino, n is an integer from 0 to 6, or R 6 is aromatic or non-aromatic heterocycle with 5 to 6 ring members with the heteroatoms being selected from the group consisting of —O—, —N(R 7 )— and —S—, R 7 is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

and A is

B is alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms or carbocyclic or heterocyclic aryl with 5 or 6 ring members containing from 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, S, N, the aryl being unsubstituted or substituted by at least one member selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl and alkoxy of up to 6 carbon atoms, or —B is —NR 8 R 9 , in which R 8 and R 9 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or one of R 8 and R 9 is nitro while the other is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or R 8 and R 9 taken together form with the nitrogen atom a non-aromatic heterocycle with five to six ring members, the elements of the chain being selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 — —NH—, —O— and —S—, or B is SR 10 , R 10 is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. A compound of claim 1 selected from the group consisting of

N′-(4-{4-[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]-1-piperazinyl}phenyl)-2-thiophenecarboximidamide;

N′-(4-{4-[2-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)acetyl]-1-piperazinyl}phenyl)-2-thiophenecarboximidamide;

N′-[3-({4-[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]-1-piperazinyl}methyl)phenyl]-2-thiophenecarboximidamide;

N′-[3-({4-[2-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)acetyl]-1-piperazinyl}methyl)phenyl]-2-thiophenecarboximidamide;

4-(4-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}phenyl)-N-[4-(1,2dithiolan-3-yl)butyl]-1-piperazinecarboxamide;

4-(4-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}-2-methylphenyl)-N-[4-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)butyl]-1-piperazinecarboxamide;

4-(4-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}-3-methylphenyl)-N-[4-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)butyl]-1-piperazinecarboxamide;

4-(4-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}-2-methoxyphenyl)-N-[4-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)butyl]-1-piperazinecarboxamide;

4-(4-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}-3-methoxyphenyl)-N-[4-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)butyl]-1-piperazinecarboxamide;

4-(4-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}-2-cyanophenyl)-N-[4-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)butyl]-1-piperazinecarboxamide;

4-(3-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}benzyl)-N-[4-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)butyl]-1-piperazinecarboxamide;

N′-(3-{4-[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]-1-piperazinyl}phenyl)-2-thiophenecarboximidamide;

tert-butyl 5-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}-2-{4-[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]-1-piperazinyl}benzylcarbamate;

N′-(3-(aminomethyl)-4-{4-[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]-1-piperazinyl}phenyl)-2-thiophenecarboximidamide

tert-butyl 3-{[-amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}benzyl{1-[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]-4-piperidinyl}carbamate;

N′-{3-[({1-[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]-4-piperidinyl}amino)methyl]phenyl}-2-thiophenecarboximidamide; and

N-[2-(4-{[amino(2-thienyl)methylidene]amino}phenyl)ethyl]-4-{[5-(1,2-dithiolan-3-yl)pentanoyl]amino}benzamide;

or a salt thereof.

3. A compound of claim 1 wherein B is selected from the group consisting of thiophene, furan, pyrrole and thiazole.

4. A compound of the formula (I) of claim 1 wherein B is thiophene; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of such a compound.

5. A compound of the formula (I) of claim 1 wherein P is

and R 6 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms and —(CH 2 ) m Q′ wherein

Q′ is selected from halogen, trifluoromethyl, hydroxyl, amino, cyano and alkoxy of 1 to 6 carbon atoms and n is an integer from 0 to 6;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a salt of such a compound.

6. A process for the preparation of a compound of claim 1 in which the X—Y is —CO—N(R 3 )—(CH 2 ) r —, comprising reacting a compound of the formula

wherein n has the meaning of claim 1 with an amine of the formula

in which r, R 3 , Ω, X′, Y′, P and A have the meaning of claim 1 , the compound of formula (Xa) being such that its Ω heterocycle comprises a nitrogen atom.