Novel compounds as cannabinoid receptor ligands

A method for treating a disorder selected from the group consisting of inflammatory disorders, immune disorders, neurological disorders, cancers of the immune system, respiratory disorders, and cardiovascular disorders in a mammal in need thereof, comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (I)

• or a pharmaceutically suitable salt or prodrug thereof, wherein
• is absent or is a bond;
• m, n are each independently 0, 1 or 2;
• p is 1 or 2;
• q and r are each independently 0 or 1;
• s is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkylcarbonyl, cyano, cyanoalkyl, halo, haloalkyl, R4O2C—, RcRdNC(O)—, and RcRdNS(O)2—;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of aryl, cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, heterocycle, —O(Rh), and ReRfN—;
• R3 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, R5—C(O)—, R5—C(═N—ORp)—, R6OC(O)—, RgRjNC(O)—, R5—S(O)2—, and RgRjNS(O)2—;
• R4 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, arylalkyl, haloalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, and heterocyclealkyl;
• R5, at each occurrence, is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, haloalkyl, heteroaryl, and heterocycle;
• R6 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, arylalkyl, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclealkyl, and heteroarylalkyl;
• Rc and Rd, at each occurrence, are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl, or Rc and Rd together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring;
• Re is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, and alkylcarbonyl;
• Rf is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl;
• Rg, at each occurrence, is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, arylalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, haloalkoxyalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, heterocyclealkyl, and heterocyclealkyl;
• Rj, at each occurrence is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and haloalkyl;
• Rh is a cycloalkyl ring optionally substituted with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, halogen, hydroxy, alkoxy, haloalkyl, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, cycloalkyl, and heterocyclealkyl;
• and
• Rp is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl.