Pharmaceutical compounds

A compound of formula I,

• wherein
• R2 is in a position ortho to R3 and R1 is in a position ortho to R2
• or R1 is in a position ortho to R3 and R4 is in a position ortho to R1;
• R1 is cyano or nitro;
• R2 is hydroxy;
• R3 is hydroxy;
• R4 is H, (C1-C6)alkyl, halo(C1-C6)alkyl, cyano, formyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-(C═O)—,
• halogen or nitro;
• the dotted line represents a single or a double bond;
• two of X, Y or Z are independently CR5(R6)m, N(R7)n, O or S and one of X, Y or
• Z is N(R7)n, O or S;
• m is, independently at each occurrence, 0 or 1;
• n is, independently at each occurrence, 0, 1 or 2;
• R5 is, independently at each occurrence, H, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C2-C6)alkenyl, halogen, hydroxy, (C1-C6)alkoxy, halo(C1-C6)alkyl, hydroxy(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-(C═O)—, (C1-C8)alkoxy-(C═O)—, cyano, formyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-(C═S)—, (R8)2N—(C═S)—, R8—(C═NR8)—, carboxy, (C3-C7)cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl-(C═O)—, aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, (R8)2N—, (R8)2N—(C1-C6)alkyl, (R8)2N—(C═O)—, (C1-C6)alkyl-S—, R9—(S═O)—, R9—(O═S═O)—, (C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy-(C═O)—(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-(C═O)—O—, (C1-C6)alkyl-(C═O)—O—(C1-C6)alkyl, hydroxy(C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-S—(C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-S—(C═O)—, (C3-C7)cycloalkyl(C1-C6)alkyl, aryloxy, aryloxy(C1-C6)alkyl, aryl(C1-C6)alkoxy, aryl(C1-C6)alkoxy(C1-C6)alkyl or heterocyclyl-(C═S)—, wherein said (C3-C7)cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl or heteroaryl as such or as part of another group is unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituent(s) each independently being (C1-C6)alkyl, halogen, hydroxy, carboxy, (C1-C6)alkoxy or (R8)2N—;
• R6 is, independently at each occurrence, H, (C1-C6)alkyl, halogen, hydroxy, hydroxy(C1-C6)alkyl or (C1-C6)alkoxy;
• or R5 and R6 both attached to the same carbon ring atom form, together with the carbon ring atom to which they are attached, a —(C═O)— group;
• or R5 and R6 both attached to the same carbon ring atom form, together with the carbon ring atom to which they are attached, C═C(R8)2;
• or R5 and R6 both attached to the same carbon ring atom form, together with the carbon ring atom to which they are attached, a 5, 6 or 7 membered saturated or unsaturated carbocyclic ring, wherein said ring is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 or 2 substituent(s) each independently being (C1-C6)alkyl, halogen, hydroxy, (C1-C6)alkoxy or carboxy;
• R7 is, independently at each occurrence, H, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C3-C7)cycloalkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, aryl or O−, wherein said (C3-C7)cycloalkyl or aryl is unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2 or 3 substituent(s) each independently being (C1-C6)alkyl, halogen, hydroxy, (C1-C6)alkoxy or carboxy;
• or R5 and R5, R5 and R7, or R7 and R7 attached to adjacent ring atoms form, together with the ring atoms to which they are attached, a condensed 5, 6 or 7 membered saturated or unsaturated carbocyclic ring or a condensed 5, 6 or 7 membered saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic ring containing 1 or 2 heteroatom(s) selected from N, O and S, wherein said carbo- or heterocyclic ring is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 or 2 substituent(s) each independently being (C1-C6)alkyl, halogen, hydroxy, (C1-C6)alkoxy, carboxy or oxo;
• R8 is, independently at each occurrence, H, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, aryl or aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, wherein said aryl as such or as part of another group is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 or 2 substituent(s) each independently being (C1-C6)alkyl, halogen, hydroxy, carboxy or (C1-C6)alkoxy;
• R9 is, independently at each occurrence, (C1-C6)alkyl, (R8)2N—, hydroxy or (C1-C6)alkoxy;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof;
• with the proviso that the compound is not 2-benzyl-7-bromo-6-nitro-benzofuran-4,5-diol.