Bridged bicyclic aryl and bridged bicyclic heteroaryl substituted triazoles useful as axl inhibitors

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (Ia):

• R1, R4 and R5 are each hydrogen;
• R2 is phenyl optionally substituted by one or more substitutents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, halo, haloalkyl, haloalkenyl, cyano, nitro, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted heterocyclylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, —R15—OR14, —R15—OC(O)—R14, —R15—N(R14)2, —R15—C(O)R14, —R15—C(O)OR14, —R15—C(O)N(R14)2, —R15—N(R14)C(O)OR14, —R15—N(R14)C(O)R14, —R15—N(R14)S(O)tR14 (where t is 1 or 2), —R15—S(O)tOR14 (where t is 1 or 2), —R15—S(O)pR14 (where p is 0, 1 or 2), and —R15—S(O)tN(R14)2 (where t is 1 or 2), where each R14 is independently hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl, and each R15 is independently a direct bond or a straight or branched alkylene or alkenylene chain;
• R3 is a bridged bicyclic heteroaryl of formula (II):
• where:
• m and n are independently 1 to 2;
• q and r are independently 0 to 2;
• A1, A3 and each A4 are each independently C(R8)2;
• the A2 to which (A4)r is attached is N and the other A2 is C(R8)2;
• and
• B1 is N, B2 is the carbon directly bonded to the nitrogen to which R3 is attached, B3 is C(R13) and B4 is C(R13);
• each R6 and R7 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted heterocyclylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, —R11—OR9, —R11—CN, —R11—NO2, —R11—N(R9)2, —R11—C(O)OR9 and —R11—C(O)N(R9)2;
• each R8 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyano, nitro, halo, haloalkyl, alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, —R10—OR9, —R10—OC(O)—R9, —R10—N(R6)R7, —R10—C(O)R9, —R10—C(O)OR9, —R10—C(O)N(R6)R7, —R10—N(R6)C(O)OR14, —R10—N(R6)C(O)R9, —R10—N(R6)S(O)tR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)tOR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)pR9 (where p is 0, 1 or 2), and —R10—S(O)tN(R6)R7 (where t is 1 or 2), or two R8's on adjacent carbons can combine to form a double bond;
• each R9 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, haloalkyl, haloalkenyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, and optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl;
• each R10 is independently selected from the group consisting of a direct bond and an optionally substituted straight or branched alkylene chain;
• each R11 is an optionally substituted straight or branched alkylene chain;
• and
• each R13 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyano, nitro, halo, haloalkyl, alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted heterocyclylalkyl, —R10—OR3, —R10—OC(O)—R9, —R10—N(R6)R7, —R10—C(O)R9, —R10—C(O)OR9, —R10—C(O)N(R6)R7, —R10—N(R6)C(O)OR14, —R10—N(R6)C(O)R9, —R10—N(R6)S(O)tR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)tOR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)pR3 (where p is 0, 1 or 2), and —R10—S(O)tN(R6)R7 (where t is 1 or 2);
• as an isolated stereoisomer or a mixture thereof, or as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

A method of inhibiting Axl activity in a cell, wherein the method comprises contacting the cell with an effective amount of a compound of formula (Ia):

• R1, R4 and R5 are each hydrogen;
• R2 is phenyl optionally substituted by one or more substitutents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, halo, haloalkyl, haloalkenyl, cyano, nitro, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted heterocyclylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, —R15—OR14, —R15—OC(O)—R14, —R15—N(R14)2, —R15—C(O)R14, —R15—C(O)OR14, —R15—C(O)N(R14)2, —R15—N(R14)C(O)OR14, —R15—N(R14)C(O)R14, —R15—N(R14)S(O)tR14 (where t is 1 or 2), —R15—S(O)tOR14 (where t is 1 or 2), —R15—S(O)pR14 (where p is 0, 1 or 2), and —R15—S(O)tN(R14)2 (where t is 1 or 2), where each R14 is independently hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylalkyl, heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl, and each R15 is independently a direct bond or a straight or branched alkylene or alkenylene chain;
• R3 is a bridged bicyclic heteroaryl of formula (II):
• where:
• m and n are independently 1 to 2;
• q and r are independently 0 to 2;
• A1, A3 and each A4 are each independently C(R8)2;
• the A2 to which (A4)r is attached is N and the other A2 is C(R8)2;
• and
• B1 is N, B2 is the carbon directly bonded to the nitrogen to which R3 is attached, B3 is C(R13) and B4 is C(R13);
• each R6 and R7 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted heterocyclylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, —R11—OR9, —R11—CN, —R11—NO2, —R11—N(R9)2, —R11—C(O)OR9 and —R11—C(O)N(R9)2;
• each R8 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyano, nitro, halo, haloalkyl, alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, —R10—OR9, —R10—OC(O)—R9, —R10—N(R6)R7, —R10—C(O)R9, —R10—C(O)OR9, —R10—C(O)N(R6)R7, —R10—N(R6)C(O)OR14, —R10—N(R6)C(O)R9, —R10—N(R6)S(O)tR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)tOR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)pR3 (where p is 0, 1 or 2), and —R10—S(O)tN(R6)R7 (where t is 1 or 2), or two R8's on adjacent carbons can combine to form a double bond;
• each R9 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, haloalkyl, haloalkenyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, and optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl;
• each R10 is independently selected from the group consisting of a direct bond and an optionally substituted straight or branched alkylene chain;
• each R11 is an optionally substituted straight or branched alkylene chain;
• and
• each R13 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyano, nitro, halo, haloalkyl, alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heteroarylalkyl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted heterocyclylalkyl, —R10—OR9, —R10—OC(O)—R9, —R10—N(R6)R7, —R10—C(O)R9, —R10—C(O)OR9, —R10—C(O)N(R6)R7, —R10—N(R6)C(O)OR14, —R10—N(R6)C(O)R9, —R10—N(R6)S(O)tR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)tOR9 (where t is 1 or 2), —R10—S(O)pR9 (where p is 0, 1 or 2), and —R10—S(O)tN(R6)R7 (where t is 1 or 2);
• as an isolated stereoisomer or a mixture thereof, or as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.