Aminobenzisoxazole compounds as agonists of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

A compound represented by Formula (Ia) or Formula (Ib):

• wherein:
• R1, R2, R3, and R4 independently represent —H, -D, halogen radical, —CN, an unbranched C1-C4-alkyl radical, a branched C3-C4-alkyl radical, a C3-C6-cycloalkyl radical, an unbranched —OC1-C4-alkyl, a branched or cyclic —OC3-C4-alkyl, —N(R5)(R6), —(CO)N(R5)(R6), —NR5(CO)(R6), —SO2C1-C4-alkyl, —SO2N(R5)(R6), —(CH2)mSO2C1-C4-alkyl, —(CH2)mSO2N(R5)(R6), —N(R5)SO2C1-C4-alkyl, an aryl radical, or a heteroaryl radical;
• wherein the alkyl portion of the unbranched C1-C4-alkyl radical, the branched C3-C4-alkyl radical, the C3-C6-cycloalkyl radical, the unbranched —OC1-C4-alkyl, the branched or cyclic —OC3-C4-alkyl, the —SO2C1-C4-alkyl, the —(CH2)mSO2C1-C4-alkyl, or the —N(R5)SO2C1-C4-alkyl, may be independently substituted with up to 5 radical substituents comprising:
• -D, halogen radical, ═O, —OR5, —(CH2)mOR5, —N(R5)(R6), —NR5(CO)(R6), —(CH2)mN(R5)(R6), —SO2C1-C4-alkyl, —SO2N(R5)(R6), —(CH2)mSO2C1-C4-alkyl, —(CH2)mSO2N(R5)(R6), —N(R5)SO2C1-C4-alkyl, —(CO)(CH2)mR5, —(CO)N(R5)(R6), an unbranched C1-C6-alkyl radical, a branched C3-C6-alkyl radical, a C3-C6-cycloalkyl radical, a C1-C6-hydroxyalkyl radical, a C1-C2-haloalkyl radical, or —OC1-C2-haloalkyl radical;
• and wherein the aryl radical or the heteroaryl radical may be independently substituted with up to 5 radical substituents comprising:
• -D, halogen radical, —CN, —OR5, —(CH2)mOR5, —N(R5)(R6), —NR5(CO)(R6), —(CH2)mN(R5)(R6), —SO2C1-C4-alkyl, —SO2N(R5)(R6), —(CH2)mSO2C1-C4-alkyl, —(CH2)mSO2N(R5)(R6), —N(R5)SO2C1-C4-alkyl, —(CO)(CH2)mR5, —(CO)N(R5)(R6), an unbranched C1-C6-alkyl radical, a branched C3-C6-alkyl radical, a C3-C6-cycloalkyl radical, a C1-C6-hydroxyalkyl radical, a C1-C2-haloalkyl radical, or —OC1-C2-haloalkyl radical;
• R5 and R6 independently represent —H;
• an unbranched C1-C6-alkyl radical, a branched C3-C6-alkyl radical;
• a C3-C6-cycloalkyl radical;
• or the N(R5)(R6) moiety forms a cycle, wherein R5 and R6 taken together represent a C2-C6-alkyl di-radical or a (3-6 membered)-heteroalkyl di-radical;
• wherein the (3-6 membered)-heteroalkyl di-radical comprises at least one ring atom selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, with the proviso that when the at least one ring atom is nitrogen, the nitrogen is independently substituted with —H, an unbranched C1-C4-alkyl radical, a branched C3-C4-alkyl radical, a C3-C4-cycloalkyl radical, —(CO)-unbranched C1-C4-alkyl, —(CO)-branched C3-C4-alkyl, —(SO2)-unbranched C1-C4-alkyl, or —(SO2)-branched C3-C4-alkyl, and with the further proviso that when the at least one ring atom is sulfur, the sulfur may be independently substituted with 0 to 2 ═O;
• wherein the C2-C6-alkyl di-radical or the alkyl portion of said (3-6 membered)-heteroalkyl di-radical may be independently substituted with up to 5 radical substituents comprising:
• -D, halogen radical, ═O, an unbranched C1-C6-alkyl radical, or a branched C3-C6-alkyl radical;
• and
• m independently represents an integer from 1 to 6;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.