5-lipoxygenase inhibitors

Abstract

Novel compounds having the ability to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase enzyme and having the following formula I: ##STR1## and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein Ar.sup.1 is a heterocyclic moiety which is selected from imidazolyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, indolyl, indazolyl and benzimidazolyl, which is bonded to X.sup.1 through a ring nitrogen atom, and which may be optionally substituted with one or two substituents selected from halo, hydroxy, cyano, amino, C.sub.1-4 alkyl and the like; X.sup.1 is a direct bond or C.sub.1-4 alkylene; Ar.sup.2 is phenylene optionally substituted with halo, hydroxy, cyano, amino and the like; X.sup.2 is --A--X-- or --X--A-- wherein A is a direct bond or C.sub.1-4 alkylene and X is oxy, thio, sulfinyl or sulfonyl; Ar.sup.3 is phenylene, pyridylene, thienylene, furylene, oxazolylene or thiazolylene optionally substituted with one or two substituents selected from halo, hydroxy, cyano, amino, C.sub.1-4 alkyl and the like; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each C.sub.1-4 alkyl, or together they form a group of formula --D.sup.1 --Z--D.sup.2 -- which together with the carbon atom to which it is attached defines a ring having 3 to 8 atoms, wherein D.sup.1 and D.sup.2 are C.sub.1-4 alkylene and Z is a direct bond or oxy, thio, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, or vinylene, and D.sup.1 and D.sup.2 may be substituted by C.sub.1-3 alkyl; and Y is CONR.sup.3 R.sup.4, CN, C(R.sup.3).dbd.N--OR.sup.4, COOR.sup.3, COR.sup.3 or CSNR.sup.3 R.sup.4, wherein R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each H or C.sub.1-4 alkyl. These compounds are useful in the treatment or alleviation of inflammatory diseases, allergy and cardiovascular diseases in mammals and as the active ingredient in pharmaceutical compositions for treating such conditions.