Use of derivatives of indoles for the treatment of cancer

A method for treating cancer, the method comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a compound of formula (I):

• wherein:
• the dashed line represents a saturated or an unsaturated bond;
• Z represents a CH unit;
• Y represents a C(RS)x unit;
• R5 represents a hydrogen atom, a (C1-C5)alkyl, a nitrile, a carboxamide or an Ar group, with x being 1 or 2;
• R6 represents a hydrogen atom, a (C1-C5)alkyl or an Ar group;
• R4 is different from R5 and represents a hydrogen atom, a nitrile, an ethyne, a (C1-C5)alkyl or a carboxamide group, with the proviso that
• when R4 represents a hydrogen atom, then R5 represents a nitrile group and R6 represents an Ar group, and
• when R4 is different from a hydrogen atom, then one of R5 and R6, which are different from one another, is an Ar group;
• R7 represents a hydrogen atom or a (C1-C5)alkyl group;
• R1, R2 and R3 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen, a hydroxyl, an amine or a radical (C1-C10)alkoxy, phenyl, benzyloxy, acetate, methylcarbamate, or (C1-C10)alkoxyacetate, said radical optionally substituted with at least one halogen or a (C1-C10)alkoxy group;
• R2 and R3 optionally form a condensed heterocycle optionally substituted with a (C1-C5)alkyl group;
• Ar represents an aromatic radical selected from the group consisting of:
• wherein
• R′ represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen, a cyano, a (C1-C5)alkyl or a (C1-C10)alkoxy group,
• R″ and R″″ independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen or a (C1-C5)alkyl group, and
• R′″ represents a hydrogen atom or a (C1-C10)alkoxy group;
• provided that when Ar is the aromatic radial (B), R4 represents a nitrile group and R1, R3, R5 and R7 represent a hydrogen atom and:
• if the dashed line is an unsaturated bond, then R2 is different from a benzyloxy group, or
• if the dashed line is a saturated bond, then R2 is different from a hydrogen atom;
• wherein
• Ra and Rc independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen, a nitro, a nitrile, an amine, an amide or a (C1-C5)alkoxy group,
• Rb represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen or a hydroxyl group;
• Rb and Rc optionally form a condensed saturated cycle comprising 3 to 5 carbon atoms, optionally interrupted by at least one heteroatom;
• with the proviso that:
• when Ar is the aromatic radical (D) with Ra and Rc representing a methoxy group (—OCH3), Y representing a C(R5)1 unit, R1, R3, R5 and R7 representing a hydrogen atom, R4 representing a nitrile group and Rb representing a hydroxyl group, then R2 is not a hydrogen atom;
• and
• when Ar is (D) with Ra, Rb, R1, R2, R3, R5 and R7 representing a hydrogen atom, Y representing a C(R5)1 unit and R4 representing a nitrile group, then Rc is not a methoxy group (—OCH3);
• wherein R8 represents a hydrogen atom or a (C1-C5)alkyl group, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.