Small molecule inhibitors of caspases

A compound having the structure (I):

• 311
• and pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives thereof,
• wherein
• R1 is H, an aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, heteroalkylaryl, or heteroalkylheteroaryl moiety;
• n is 0 or 1;
• A is CRA, C(RA)2, C═O, S, NRA, N(RA)2, or O;
• B is CRB, C(RB)2, C═O, S, NRB, N(RB)2, or O;
• D is CRD, C(RD)2, C═O, S, NRD, N(RD)2, or O;
• E is CRE, C(RE)2, C═O, S, NRE, N(RE)2, or O;
• G is CRG, C(RG)2, C═O, S, NRG, N(RG)2, or O;
• J is CRJ;
• each of A-B, B-D, D-E, E-G, G-J and A-J are connected by a single or double bond as valency and stability permits;
• each occurrence of RA, RB, RD, RE, RG and RJ is independently hydrogen, halogen, —OR2, —N(R2)2, —SR2, —CN, —COOR2, —COR2, —CON(R2)2, —SOR2, —SO2R2, —SO2N(R2)2, —NR2SO2R2, —O(C═O)N(R2)2, —NR2(C═O)N(R2)2— —NR2(C═S)N(R2)2—, —NR2SO2N(R2)2—, or an aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, heteroalkylaryl, or heteroalkylheteroaryl moiety optionally independently substituted with one or more occurrences of R2, wherein each occurrence of R2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, —OR3, —N(R3)2, —SR3, —CN, —COOR3, —COR3, —CON(R3)2, —SOR3, —SO2R3, —SO2N(R3)2, —NRSO2R3, —O(C═O)N(R3)2, NR3(C═O)N(R3)2, —NR3(C═S)N(R3)2—, —NR3SO2N(R3)2—, or an aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, heteroalkylaryl, or heteroalkylheteroaryl moiety;
• wherein each occurrence of R3 is independently hydrogen, or an aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, heteroalkylaryl, or heteroalkylheteroaryl moiety,
• and wherein at least one of RB or RD comprises —-SR2, —SOR2, —SO2R2, —SO2N(R2)2, —NR2SO2R2, —N(R2)2, —(C═O)N(R2)2, —NR2(C═O)R2, —O(C═O)N(R2)2, —NR2(C═O)N(R2)2, NR2(C═S)N(R2)2—, —NR2SO2N(R2)2—, or is an alkyl or heteroalkyl group substituted with one or more occurrences of R2, wherein R2 is —SR3, —SOR3, —SO2R3, —SO2N(R3)2—, —NR3SO2R3, —N(R3)2, —(C═O)N(R3)2, —NR3(C═O)R3, —O(C═O)N(R3)2, —NR3(C═O)N(R3)2, NR3(C═S)N(R3)2—, —NR3SO2N(R3)2—, wherein R3 is an aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, heteroalkylaryl, or heteroalkylheteroaryl moiety,
• whereby each of the foregoing aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, alkyl and heteroalkyl moieties may be independently substituted or unsubstituted, cyclic or acyclic, linear or branched, and each of the foregoing aryl, heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, heteroalkylaryl and heteroalkylheteroaryl moieties may be independently substituted or unsubstituted.