Aryl-substituted dihydroquinolinones, their preparation and their use as pharmaceuticals

A compound of formula (I):

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, ester or prodrug thereof,
• wherein:
• A is —CH2;
• R1 is hydrogen or methyl;
• R2 and R5 independently represent hydrogen, halogen, —CH3, —C(Ra)(Rb)(Rc), —N(Rd)(Re) or —O(Rf),
• wherein
• Ra is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl;
• Rb is hydrogen, hydroxyl or C1-C6 alkyl;
• Rc is C3-C6 cycloalkyl, C6-C10 aryl, 3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl, 5-10 membered heteroaryl, (C3-C6 cycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (C6-C10 aryl)C1-C6 alkyl or (5-10 membered heteroaryl)C1-C6 alkyl, —O(Rg) or —N(Rg)(Rh);
• Rd is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl;
• Re is C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C6 cycloalkyl, C6-C10 aryl, 3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl, 5-10 membered heteroaryl, (C3-C6 cycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (C6-C10 aryl)C1-C6 alkyl, (5-10 membered heteroaryl)C1-C6 alkyl, keto(C6-C10 aryl) or keto(5-10 membered heteroaryl);
• Rf is C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C6cycloalkyl, 3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl, C6-C10 aryl, 5-10 membered heteroaryl, (C3-C6 cycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (C6-C10 aryl)C1-C6 alkyl or (5-10 membered heteroaryl)C1-C6 alkyl;
• Rg is C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C6 cycloalkyl, C6-C10 aryl, 3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl, 5-10 membered heteroaryl, (C3-C6 cycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (3-7 membered heterocycloalkyl)C1-C6 alkyl, (C6-C10 aryl)C1-C6 alkyl or (5-10 membered heteroaryl)C1-C6 alkyl;
• Rh is hydrogen, C1-C4 alkyl, —C(O)(R6);
• —C(O)NH2, —C(O)NH(R6) or —C(O)N(R6)(R6′);
• one of R3 and R4 represents a group of formula (II), provided that when R3 is a group of formula (II), then R4 has the same definition than R2 and R5, and when R4 is a group of formula (II), then R3 has the same definition than R2 and R5;
• the group of formula (II) has the following structure:
• wherein:
• X1, X2 and X3 are each independently N or C, wherein when X1, X2 or X3 is N, then the R7, R8 or R10 attached thereto is absent, provided that at least two of X1, X2 and X3 are C;
• R7 and R10 are each independently hydrogen, halogen, CN, linear or branched C1-C6alkyl, C3-C6cycloalkyl, OR6, SR6, NHR6, N(R6)(R6′), NHC(O)R6 or N(R6)C(O)R6′;
• R8 is halogen, CN, linear or branched C1-C6alkyl, C3-C6cycloalkyl, OR6, SR6, NHR6, N(R6)(R6′), NHC(O)R6 or N(R6)C(O)R6′;
• R6 and R6′, which are the same or different, represent a C1-C6 alkyl group;
• R9 is a C1-C3alkyl or C3-C5cycloalkyl group;
• each alkyl group is linear or branched and optionally substituted with 1 to 3 groups being halogen, CN, alkoxy or haloalkoxy, and each of cycloalkyl, aryl, heterocycloalkyl and heteroaryl is optionally substituted by 1 to 3 groups being halogen, CN, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy or haloalkoxy;
• and
• when R3 is the group of formula (II), one of R2, R4 and R5 is —C(Ra)(Rb)(Rc), —N(Rd)(Re) or —O(Rf) and the other two of R2, R4 and R5 are independently hydrogen, halogen or —CH3;
• or
• when R4 is the group of formula (II), one of R2, R3 and R5 is —C(Ra)(Rb)(Rc), —N(Rd)(Re) or —O(Rf) and the other two of R2, R3 and R5 are independently hydrogen, halogen or —CH3.