Phenylethylamines and condensed rings variants as prodrugs of catecholamines, and their use

Abstract

Compounds of the general formula I wherein rings B, C, D and E may be present or not and, when present, are combined with A as A+C, A+E, A+B+C, A+B+D, A+B+E, A+C+E, A+B+C+D or A+B+C+D+E, rings B, C and E being aliphatic whereas ring D may be aliphatic or aromatic/heteroaromatic, and wherein X is —(CH)—, in which m is an integer 1-3, to form a ring E or, when E is absent, a group Rbound to the nitrogen atom, wherein Ris selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, alkyl or haloalkyl groups of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl(alkyl) groups of 3 to 5 carbon atoms (i.e. including cyclopropyl, cyclopropylmethyl, cyclobutyl and cyclobutylmethyl) and wherein Y is —(CH)—, in which n is an integer 1-3, to form a ring C or when C is absent, a group Rbound to the nitrogen atom, wherein Ris selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, alkyl or haloalkyl groups of 1 to 7 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl(alkyl) groups of 3 to 7 carbon atoms, alkenyl or alkylnyl groups of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl having 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety, whilst the aryl/heteroaryl nucleus may be substituted, provided that when rings B, C, D and E are absent NRRis different from dimethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, N-methyl-N-propynyl-amino, N-methyl-N-propylamino and N-hydroxipropyl-N-methylamino, and salts thereof with pharmaceutically acceptable acids or bases are disclosed as well as the use of such compounds for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, psychoses, Huntington's disease, impotence, renal failure, heart failure or hypertension, such pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treating Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.