ROR-gamma modulators and uses thereof

A compound of formula I,

• wherein:
• R1 is —S(O)mRa, —S(O)rNRbRc, —S(O)r(NRb)Ra,
• Ra is (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl or heterocyclyl;
• Rb and Rc at each occurrence are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl and heterocyclyl;
• or
• Rb and Rc can combine to form a saturated or unsaturated 5- or 6-membered ring, optionally containing 1 or 2 additional heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, S and O;
• wherein the ring can be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxy, cyano, oxo, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy and halo(C1-C8)-alkyl;
• m is 0, 1 or 2;
• r is 1 or 2;
• R2 at each occurrence is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, halo(C1-C8)-alkyl, halo(C1-C8)-alkoxy, NRa1Ra2, CORa3, COORa3 and CONRa1Ra2;
• or
• R1 and R2 when present on adjacent carbon atoms of the phenyl can combine to form a saturated 5- or 6-membered ring containing S or SO2;
• which ring can be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, cyano, oxo, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C2-C8)-alkynyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy and halo(C1-C8)-alkyl;
• R3 and R4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or (C1-C8)-alkyl;
• a is 1 or 2;
• b is 1;
• L is —CO—;
• A is
• R5 is hydrogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, halo(C1-C8)alkyl or (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl;
• R6 and R7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, halo(C1-C8)alkyl, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, CONRa1Ra2, CORa3 and COOR3;
• or
• R6 and R7 can combine to form saturated or unsaturated 3-6 membered cyclic ring optionally containing 1 or 2 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N and S;
• wherein the ring can be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of oxo, hydroxy, cyano, halogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, halo(C1-C8)-alkyl, CORa3, COORa3, CONRa2Ra3, (C1-C8)alkoxy and halo(C1-C8)-alkoxy;
• c is 0;
• Q is
• R9 is (CRfRj)fRb, (CRfRj)fORk, (CRfRj)fN(Rk)2, (CRfRj)fCN, (CRfRj)f-halogen, W—(C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, W—(C5-C10)-cycloalkenyl, W1—(C6-C10)-aryl, W1-heterocyclyl or W1-heteroaryl;
• Rk is hydrogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C5-C10)-cycloalkenyl, -(C1-C8)-alkylene-(C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, -(C1-C8)-alkylene-(C5-C10)-cycloalkenyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, -(C1-C8)-alkylene-(C6-C10)-aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl, -(C1-C8)-alkylene-heteroaryl or -(C1-C8)-alkylene-heterocyclyl;
• Rx at each occurrence are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, oxo, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, halo(C1-C8)-alkyl, halo(C1-C8)-alkoxy, NRa1Ra2, CORa3, COORa3 and CONRa1Ra2;
• W is a bond, —O—, CO, NH, (CRfRg)f, (CRfRg)f—C≡C— or (C5-C10)-cycloalkenyl;
• W1 is (CRfRj)f, (CRfRg)f—C≡C— or (C5-C10)-cycloalkenyl;
• Rj is (C1-C8)alkyl, (C1-C8)alkoxy, halo(C1-C8)alkyl, COORa3 or heterocyclyl;
• Rf is selected from the group consisting of halogen, cyano, hydroxy, and halo(C1-C8)alkyl;
• Rg is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, (C1-C8)alkyl and halo(C1-C8)alkyl;
• e is 1 or 2;
• f is 1, 2, 3 or 4;
• wherein:
• each of the (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkylene, (C2-C8)-alkenyl and (C1-C8)-alkoxy can be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxy, oxo, cyano, (C1-C8)-alkynyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, halo(C1-C8)alkoxy, C(O)Rh, OC(O)Rh, COORh, C(O)NRhRi, O—Ri, OC(O)NRhRi, NRhRi, NRhC(O)Ri, NRhC(O)NRhRi, S(O)q(C1-C8)-alkyl, S(O)rNRhRi and NRhS(O)qRi;
• each of the (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C5-C10)-cycloalkenyl and (C6-C10)-aryl can be unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxy, oxo, cyano, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, halo(C1-C8)alkyl, halo(C1-C8)alkoxy, C(O)Rh, COORh, C(O)NRhRi, O—Ri, OC(O)Rh, OC(O)NRhRi, NRhRi, NRhC(O)Ri, NRhC(O)NRhRi, S(O)q(C1-C8)-alkyl, S(O)rNRhRi and NRhS(O)qRi;
• heterocyclyl is a 3- to 10-membered ring containing 1, 2, 3 or 4 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of N, S and O, wherein said heterocyclyl is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxy, oxo, cyano, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, halo(C1-C8)alkyl, halo(C1-C8)alkoxy, C(O)Rh, COORh, C(O)NRhRi, O—Ri, OC(O)Rh, OC(O)NRhRi, NRhRi, NRhC(O)Ri, NRhC(O)NRhRi, S(O)q(C1-C8)-alkyl, S(O)rNRhRi and NRhS(O)qRi;
• heteroaryl is a 5- to 10-membered ring containing 1, 2, 3 or 4 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of N, S and O, wherein said heteroaryl is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxy, oxo, cyano, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, halo(C1-C8)alkyl, halo(C1-C8)alkoxy, C(O)Rh, COORh, C(O)NRhRi, O—Ri, OC(O)Rh, OC(O)NRhRi, NRhRi, NRhC(O)Ri, NRhC(O)NRhRi, S(O)q(C1-C8)-alkyl, S(O)rNRhRi and NRhS(O)qRi;
• and
• Rh and Ri are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, halo(C1-C8)alkyl, (C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, (C6-C10)-aryl-(C1-C8)-alkyl, heteroaryl and heterocyclyl;
• provided that,
• (i) when R1 is —S(O)rNRbRc, wherein Rb and Rc can combine to form a saturated or unsaturated 5- or 6-membered ring, then Q is
• or an isotopic form, a stereoisomer or tautomer thereof;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, S oxide or N-oxide thereof.