Agents and methods for treating ischemic and other diseases

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of Formula I:

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein
• is a single or double bond,
• Z, Z′, J, J′, E, E′, L, M and M′ are each independently S, O, N or C, wherein N or C in each instance can be further covalently bound to X, X′, Y or Y′,
• X and X′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, optionally substituted, saturated or unsaturated C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkenyl, C1-C6 alkynyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, C1-C6 alkoxycarbonyl, amino, C1-C6 alkylamino, di-(C1-C6) alkylamino, halogen, thiol, cyano, cyano(C1-C6)alkyl, nitro, and optionally substituted 5- to 7-member cyclic, heterocyclic, bicyclic or heterobicyclic ring, wherein said ring may be aromatic or heteroaromatic, or is O, which taken together with a C to which it is attached forms a carbonyl,
• Y and Y′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, optionally substituted, saturated or unsaturated C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkenyl, C1-C6 alkynyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, C1-C6 alkoxycarbonyl, amino, C1-C6 alkylamino, di-(C1-C6) alkylamino, halogen, thiol, cyano, cyano(C1-C6)alkyl, nitro, and optionally substituted 5- to 7-member cyclic, heterocyclic, bicyclic or heterobicyclic ring, wherein said ring may be aromatic or heteroaromatic, or is O, which taken together with a C to which it is attached forms a carbonyl,
• A is NRa, SO2, (CR1R2)x or —(CR1═CR2)—x, wherein x is an integer from zero to four,
• D is carbonyl, sulfoxide, O, S or (CR3R4)y, wherein y is an integer from zero to four,
• G is NRb, SO2, (CR5R6)z, (CR5R6—O)z or —(CR5═CR6)—z, wherein z is an integer from zero to four,
• U is C—(R7)q, wherein C—(R7)q is further covalently bound to R and R′, or is N, wherein when q is one and p is zero, C—R7 can be taken together to form a carbonyl, or R7 is as described below,
• p is one or zero,
• q is one or zero,
• t is one or zero,
• u is one or zero,
• R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl (C1-C6) alkyl, optionally substituted (phenyl)-NH— and optionally substituted 5- to 10-member cyclic, heterocyclic, bicyclic or heterobicyclic ring, wherein said ring may be aromatic or heteroaromatic,
• R′ is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl (C1-C6) alkyl, and optionally substituted 5- to 10-member cyclic, heterocyclic, bicyclic or heterobicyclic ring, wherein said ring may be aromatic or hetero aromatic,
• or R and R′ are taken together with U to form an optionally substituted 5- to 10-member cyclic, bicyclic, heterocyclic or heterobicyclic ring, wherein said ring may be aromatic or hetero aromatic, and
• R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, Ra and Rb are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkenyl, C1-C6 alkynyl, optionally substituted phenyl (C1-C6) alkyl, optionally substituted benzoyl, and optionally substituted 5- to 10-member cyclic, heterocyclic, bicyclic or heterobicyclic ring, wherein said ring may be aromatic or hetero aromatic.