Somatostatin agonists

Abstract

The present invention is directed to cyclic peptides of formula (I): X-A-cyclo(D-Cys-A-A-Lys-A-A)-A-Y, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The peptides bind selectively to the somatostatin subtype receptor type-5 and elicit an agonist effect from the somatostatin subtype receptors. The peptides are useful for treating a variety of diseases, including Cushings Syndrome, gonadotropinoma, hyperparathyroidism, Paget's disease, VIPoma, nesidioblastosis, hyperinsulinism, gastrinoma, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, hypersecretory diarrhea related to AIDS and other conditions, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, Crohn's Disease, systemic sclerosis, thyroid cancer, psoriasis, hypotension, panic attacks, sclerodoma, small bowel obstruction, gastroesophageal reflux, duodenogastric reflux, Graves' Disease, polycystic ovary disease, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatic pseudocysts, pancreatic ascites, leukemia, meningioma, cancer cachexia, acromegaly, restenosis, hepatoma, lung cancer, melanoma, inhibiting the accelerated growth of a solid tumor, decreasing body weight, treating insulin resistance, Syndrome X, prolonging the survival of pancreatic cells, fibrosis, hyperlipidemia, hyperamylinemia, hyperprolactinemia and prolactinemia.