Thienopyridyl compounds that inhibit vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (VR1) and uses thereof

A compound of formula (I)

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, wherein
• - - - is absent or a covalent bond;
• X1 is selected from N and CR1;
• X2 is selected from N and CR2;
• X3 is selected from N, NR3 and CR3;
• X4 is absent or selected from N and CR4;
• X5 is selected from N and CH2;
• provided that at least one of X1, X2, X3 and X4 is N;
• X6 is selected from O, NH and S;
• Z1 is selected from O, NH and S;
• Z2 is absent or selected from NH and O;
• L is selected from aryl, alkenylene, alkylene, alkynylene, cycloalkylene, heterocycle, —(CH2)mO(CH2)n—, —N(H)O—, and —NHNH— wherein the left end of —(CH2)mO(CH2)n— and —N(H)O— is attached to Z2 and the right end is attached to R7;
• provided that when Z2 is NH or O then L is other than —N(H)O— or —NHNH—;
• m and n are each independently 1-6;
• R1, R3 and R5 are each independently selected from hydrogen, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylcarbonylalkyl, alkylcarbonyloxy, alkylthio, alkynyl, amines, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, ethylenedioxy, formyl, formylalkyl, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, haloalkylthio, halogen, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, methylenedioxy, mercapto, mercaptoalkyl, nitro, (CF3)2(HO)C—, RBS(O)2RAN—, RAOS(O)2—, RB—S(O)2—, ZAZBN—, (ZAZBN)alkyl, (ZAZBN)carbonyl, (ZAZBN)alkylcarbonyl and (ZAZBN)sulfonyl, wherein ZA and ZB are each independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, formyl, aryl and arylalkyl;
• R2 and R4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkylcarbonylalkyl, alkylcarbonyloxy, alkylthio, alkynyl, amines, carboxy, carboxyalkyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, ethylenedioxy, formyl, formylalkyl, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, haloalkylthio, halogen, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, methylenedioxy, mercapto, mercaptoalkyl, nitro, (CF3)2(HO)C—, RBS(O)2RAN—, RAOS(O)2—, RB—S(O)2—, ZAZBN—, (ZAZBN)alkyl, (ZAZBN)carbonyl, (ZAZBN)alkylcarbonyl, (ZAZBN)sulfonyl, (ZAZBN)C(═NH)—, (ZAZBN)C(═NCN)NH—, and (ZAZBN)C(═NH)NH—;
• RA is selected from hydrogen and alkyl;
• RB is selected from alkyl, aryl and arylalkyl;
• R6 is absent or selected from hydrogen and alkyl;
• provided that R6 is absent when X5 is CH2 and R6 is selected from hydrogen and alkyl when X5 is N;
• and
• R7 is selected from hydrogen, aryl and heterocycle.