Method of Treatment or Prophylaxis

A method for attenuating neuropathic pain in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of an AT2 receptor antagonist, which is optionally in the form of a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and/or diluent, wherein the AT2 receptor antagonist is selected from compounds represented by the formula (IV):

• wherein:
• R10 is selected from H, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 alkoxy,
• R9 is selected from —NR13R14, wherein R13 and R14 are independently selected from C1-6 alkyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, C1-4 alkylaryl, substituted C1-4 alkylaryl, OH, or NH2;
• a five or six membered, unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, heterocyclic ring selected from:
• V is selected from CH or a nitrogen atom,
• Y is selected from sulfur, oxygen or N—RN, where RN is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, C1-4 alkylaryl, substituted C1-4 alkylaryl, OH, or NH2,
• G is a five or six membered homoaromatic or heterocyclic, unsaturated, substituted ring selected from the following rings systems:
• where the symbol ‘*’ indicates the bond shared between the fused rings ‘A’ and ‘G’,
• R5 is selected from C1-6 alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 alkoxy,
• R6 and R8 are independently selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkoxy, substituted C1-6alkoxy, phenyl, phenyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, benzylamino, biphenyl, substituted biphenyl, biphenyloxy, substituted biphenyloxy, naphthyl, substituted naphthyl, provided that one of R6 or R8 is not hydrogen, and
• R7 is selected from phenyl, substituted phenyl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, biphenyl, substituted biphenyl, biphenylmethylene, substituted biphenylmethylene, naphthyl, substituted naphthyl, naphthylmethylene, and substituted naphthylmethylene,
• and pharmaceutically compatible salts thereof.

A method for producing analgesia in a subject having, or at risk of developing, a neuropathic pain comprising administering an effective amount of an AT2 receptor antagonist, wherein the AT2 receptor antagonist is selected from compounds represented by the formula (IV):

• wherein:
• R10 is selected from H, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 alkoxy,
• R9 is selected from —NR13R14, wherein R13 and R14 are independently selected from C1-6 alkyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, C1-4 alkylaryl, substituted C1-4 alkylaryl, OH, or NH2;
• a five or six membered, unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, heterocyclic ring selected from:
• V is selected from CH or a nitrogen atom,
• Y is selected from sulfur, oxygen or N—RN, where RN is selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, C1-4 alkylaryl, substituted C1-4 alkylaryl, OH, or NH2,
• G is a five or six membered homoaromatic or heterocyclic, unsaturated, substituted ring selected from the following rings systems:
• where the symbol ‘*’ indicates the bond shared between the fused rings ‘A’ and ‘G’,
• R5 is selected from C1-6 alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, or C1-6 alkoxy,
• R6 and R8 are independently selected from H, C1-6 alkyl, substituted C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkoxy, substituted C1-6 alkoxy, phenyl, phenyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, benzylamino, biphenyl, substituted biphenyl, biphenyloxy, substituted biphenyloxy, naphthyl, substituted naphthyl, provided that one of R6 or R8 is not hydrogen, and
• R7 is selected from phenyl, substituted phenyl, benzyl, substituted benzyl, biphenyl, substituted biphenyl, biphenylmethylene, substituted biphenylmethylene, naphthyl, substituted naphthyl, naphthylmethylene, and substituted naphthylmethylene,
• and pharmaceutically compatible salts thereof.