Agonists specific for the peripheral cannabinoid receptor

A method for preventing, treating, or managing hypertension, inflammation, peripheral pain, gastrointestinal disorders, tumors expressing CB2 receptors or autoimmune diseases comprising administering to an individual in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of the general formula:

• 14
• having the (3S,4S) configuration, and which is essentially free of the (3R,4R) enantiomer, wherein:
• A - - - B designates an optional double bond,
• R1 is (a) −R′N(R″)2 wherein R′ is C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl and each R″, which may be the same or different, is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl optionally containing a terminal —OR′″ or —OC(O)R′″ moiety wherein R′″ is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl, (b) —Q wherein Q is a heterocyclic moiety having a labile hydrogen atom so that said moiety acts as a carboxylic acid analogue, (c) —R′X wherein R′ is C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl and X is halogen, (d) —R′C(O)N(R″)2 wherein R′ is a direct bond or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl and each R″, which may be the same or different, is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight orbranched chain alkyl optionally containing a terminal —OR′″ or —OC(O)R′″ moiety wherein R′″ is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl, (e) —R′C(O)OR″ wherein R′ is a direct bond or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl and R″ is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl optionally containing a terminal —OR′″ or —OC(O)R′″ moiety wherein R′″ is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl, (f) —R′ wherein R′ is C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl, or (g) —R′OR′″ wherein R′ is C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl and R′″ is hydrogen or C1-C5 alkyl;
• G is hydrogen, halogen, or —OR2 wherein R2 is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl optionally containing a terminal —OR′″, —OC(O)R′″, C(O)OR′″, or —C(O)R″ moiety wherein R′″ is hydrogen or C1-C5 straight or branched chain alkyl;
• and
• R3 is (a) C1-C12 straight or branched chain alkyl, (b) —OR″″, in which R″″ is a straight chain or branched C2-C9 alkyl which may be substituted at the terminal carbon atom by a phenyl group, or (c) —(CH2)n OR′″ wherein n is an integer of 1 to 7 and R′″ is hydrogen or C1-C5 alkyl.