Heterocyclic inhibitors of glutaminase

A pharmaceutical composition comprising one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients and a compound of formula I,

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:
• L represents CH2SCH2, CH2CH2, CH2CH2CH2, CH2, CH2S, SCH2, CH2NHCH2, CH═CH, or
• wherein any hydrogen atom of a CH or CH2 unit may be replaced by alkyl or alkoxy, any hydrogen of an NH unit may be replaced by alkyl, and any hydrogen atom of a CH2 unit of CH2CH2, CH2CH2CH2 or CH2 may be replaced by hydroxy;
• X, independently for each occurrence, represents S, O or CH═CH, wherein any hydrogen atom of a CH unit may be replaced by alkyl;
• Y, independently for each occurrence, represents H or CH2O(CO)R7;
• R7, independently for each occurrence, represents H or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy, aminoalkyl, alkylaminoalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, or heterocyclylalkoxy;
• Z represents H or R3(CO);
• R1 and R2 each independently represent H, alkyl, alkoxy or hydroxy;
• R3, independently for each occurrence, represents substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, heteroaryloxyalkyl or C(R8)(R9)(R10), N(R4)(R5) or OR6, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7;
• R4 and R5 each independently represent H or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, acyl, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, or heteroaryloxyalkyl, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7;
• R6, independently for each occurrence, represents substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, or heteroaryloxyalkyl, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7;
• and
• R8, R9 and R10 each independently represent H or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, amino, acylamino, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylamino, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, or heteroaryloxyalkyl, or R8 and R9 together with the carbon to which they are attached, form a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring system, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7, and wherein at least two of R8, R9 and R10 are not H;
• provided that when L represents CH2SCH2, X represents S, and Z represents R3(CO), both R3 groups are not optionally substituted phenyl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, or alkoxy.

A compound of formula I,

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:
• L represents CH2SCH2, CH2CH2, CH2CH2CH2, CH2, CH2S, SCH2, CH2NHCH2, CH═CH, or
• wherein any hydrogen atom of a CH or CH2 unit may be replaced by alkyl or alkoxy, any hydrogen of an NH unit may be replaced by alkyl, and any hydrogen atom of a CH2 unit of CH2CH2, CH2CH2CH2 or CH2 may be replaced by hydroxy;
• X, independently for each occurrence, represents S, O or CH═CH, wherein any hydrogen atom of a CH unit may be replaced by alkyl;
• Y, independently for each occurrence, represents H or CH2O(CO)R7;
• R7, independently for each occurrence, represents H or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy, aminoalkyl, alkylaminoalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, or heterocyclylalkoxy;
• Z represents H or R3(CO);
• R1 and R2 each independently represent H, alkyl, alkoxy or hydroxy;
• R3, independently for each occurrence, represents substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, heteroaryloxyalkyl or C(R8)(R9)(R10), N(R4)(R5) or OR6, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7;
• R4 and R5 each independently represent H or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, acyl, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, or heteroaryloxyalkyl, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7;
• R6, independently for each occurrence, represents substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, or heteroaryloxyalkyl, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7;
• and
• R8, R9 and R10 each independently represent H or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, amino, acylamino, aminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylamino, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heteroaryloxy, or heteroaryloxyalkyl, or R8 and R9 together with the carbon to which they are attached, form a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring system, wherein any free hydroxyl group may be acylated to form C(O)R7, and wherein at least two of R8, R9 and R10 are not H;
• provided that when L represents CH2SCH2, X represents S, and Z represents R3(CO), both R3 groups are not optionally substituted phenyl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, or alkoxy;
• and further provided that the compound is not one of the following: