Compositions and methods of inhibiting n-acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase

A method of treating a patient in need of increased levels of palmitoylethanolamide, comprising administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a compound according to Formula I

• wherein
• A is O or S;
• B is O, S, or NRa;
• R1 and R2 are independently H, halogen, or optionally substituted lower alkyl;
• n is an integer between 0 and 3;
• X is O, S, C(O), NRb, CHRb or null;
• Y is C(O), C(S), or CHRc;
• Z is O, S, NRd, or CHRd;
• V is optionally substituted lower alkyl or optionally substituted lower alkenyl;
• wherein W is optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloheteroalkyl, or C(R3R4R5);
• and wherein Y and V may optionally form a 5- or 6 membered ring;
• wherein Ra, Rb, Rc, and Rd are independently selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted lower alkyl, or optionally substituted lower thioalkyl;
• and
• wherein R3, R4, and R5 are independently H, optionally substituted lower alkyl, optionally substituted lower aryl, optionally substituted lower cycloheteroalkyl, or optionally substituted lower heteroaryl.