Triarylimidazole derivatives as cytokine inhibitors

A compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:

• 8
• wherein R1 is naphthyl, or phenyl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, —O—C1-6alkyl, —S—C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkyl, C1-6haloakyl, —O—(CH2)n—Ph, —S—(CH2)n—Ph, cyano, phenyl, and CO2R, wherein R is hydrogen or C1-6alkyl, and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3;
• or R1 is phenyl fused with an aromatic or non-aromatic cyclic ring of 5-7 members wherein said cyclic ring optionally contains up to three heteroatoms, independently selected from N, O and S;
• R2 is H, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkoxy, phenyl, NH(CH2)n—Ph, NH—C1-6alkyl, halo or alkoxy;
• R3 is COOH, tetrazole, CN, NO2, OH, —S—C1-6alkyl, —SO—C1-6alkyl, —O—C1-6alkyl, SONH2, CHO, CH2OH, (CH2)nNH2, CONHOR′, O(CH2)nCO2R′, O(CH2)nCONHR′, CONHR′, (CH2)nCO2R′, or (CH2)nCONHR′ wherein R′ is hydrogen or C1-6alkyl, and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3;
• and
• one of X1 and X2 is N or CR″, and the other is NR″ or CHR″ wherein R″ is hydrogen, C1-6alkyl, or C3-7cycloalkyl;
• or when one of X1 and X2 is N or CR″ then the other may be S or O;
• provided that the compound is not one in which R1 is naphthyl, or phenyl optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, —O—C1-6alkyl, —S—C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkyl, —O—(CH2)n—Ph, —S—(CH2)n—Ph, cyano, phenyl, and CO2R, wherein R is hydrogen or C1-6alkyl and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3;
• or R1 is phenyl fused with an aromatic or non-aromatic cyclic ring of 5-7 members wherein said cyclic ring optionally contains up to two heteroatoms, independently selected from N, O and S;
• and R2 is H, NH(CH2)n—Ph or NH—C1-6alkyl;
• and
• and R3 is CO2H, CONH2, CN, NO2, C1-6alkylthio, SO2—C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkoxy, SONH2, CONHOH, NH2, CHO, CH2OH, CH2NH2, or CO2R, wherein R is hydrogen or C1-6alkyl.