Novel compounds that are erk inhibitors

A compound of the formula:

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:
• Q is selected from the group consisting of:
• —(CR3)— and N;
• X is selected from the group consisting of:
• NH and N—O;
• Y is selected from the group consisting of:
• —C(R4R6)— and —N(R9)—;
• Z is selected from the group consisting of:
• —C(═O)—, —C(R7R8)— and —C(R7R8)—C(R7R8)— wherein each R7 and each R8 is independently selected;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of:
• H, halo, —CF3, —CN, —NR12R13, —OR10, —O—(R10)—O—R10, —O—R10—OH, —O—R11, (C1-C6)alkyl, substituted (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkenyl, (C3-C7)cycloalkyl, substituted (C3-C7)cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl, substituted heterocycloalkyl, heterocycloalkenyl-, substituted heterocycloalkenyl, —(C1-C6)alkyl-O—(C1-C6)alkyl, (C6-C14)aryl, substituted (C6-C14)aryl, —C(O)NH(C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)N((C1-C6)alkyl)2 wherein each alkyl is independently selected, —C(O)—(C1-C6)alkyl-C(O)—(C1-C6)alkyl, —(C1-C4)alkyl-C(O)—O—(C1-C4)alkyl, —N((C1-C6)alkyl)-S(O)2—(C1-C6)alkyl, —N((C1-C6)alkyl)-(C1-C6)alkyl-O—(C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkyl-fused heteroarylheteroaryl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkyl-(substituted fused heteroarylheteroaryl), fused arylheterocycloalkyl, substituted fused arylheterocycloalkyl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkyl-(C3-C6)cycloalkyl-N(R6)2, —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkyl-(substituted (C3-C6)cycloalkyl)-N(R6)2, —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkylheterocycloalkyl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkyl(substituted heterocycloalkyl), —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkylheteroaryl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C2)alkyl(substituted heteroaryl), —C(O)NH—(C1-C6)alkyl-(C3-C6)cycloalkyl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C6)alkyl-(substituted (C3-C6)cycloalkyl), —C(O)NH—(C1-C6)alkyl-O—(C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C6)alkylheterocycloalkyl, —C(O)NH—(C1-C6)alkyl(substituted heterocycloalkyl), —C(O)-heterocycloalkyl-S—(C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)-(substituted heterocycloalkyl-S—(C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)-heterocycloalkyl, —C(O)-(substituted heterocycloalkyl), fused arylheteroaryl, fused (substituted arylheteroaryl), fused heteroarylheteroaryl, fused (substituted heteroarylheteroaryl), fused heterocycloalkylheteroaryl, substituted fused heterocycloalkylheteroaryl, —(C1-C4)alkyl-S(O)2—(C1-C6)alkyl, and —(C1-C4)alkyl-NH—(C1-C6)alkyl;
• and wherein said substituted R1 groups, other than said substituted (C1-C6)alkyl, are substituted with 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of:
• —(C1-C6)alkyl, halo, CN, —OH, —OR10, —CF3, ═O, —NH2, —NH(C1-C6)alkyl, —S(O)2(C1-C6)alkyl, —(C3-C6)cycloalkyl, —((C1-C6)alkyl)OH, —(C3-C6)cycloalkyl-S—(C3-C6)cycloalkyl, —N((C1-C6)alkyl)2 wherein each alkyl is independently selected, —C(O)O—(C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)OH, —OCF3, —C(O)NH(C1-C6)alkyl, heteroaryl, —(C1-C6)alkyl)-O—(C1-C6)alkyl, fused heteroarylaryl-, heterocycloalkyl, and heterocycloalkenyl;
• and wherein said substituted (C1-C6)alkyl R1 group is substituted with 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of:
• —(C1-C6)alkoxy, halo, CN, —OH, ═O, —CF3, —NH2, —NH(C1-C6)alkyl, —S(O)2(C1-C6)alkyl, fused heteroarylaryl-, heterocycloalkyl, and heterocycloalkenyl;
• and wherein the alkyl moieties of the R1 groups, other than (C1-C6)alkyl and substituted (C1-C6)alkyl, are optionally substituted with 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of:
• (C1-C6)alkoxy, halo, CN, —OH, ═O, —CF3, —NH2, —NH(C1-C6)alkyl, —S(O)2(C1-C6)alkyl, fused heteroarylaryl-, heterocycloalkyl, and heterocycloalkenyl;
• and wherein said heteroaryl moiety of said R1 groups is a 5-10 membered ring comprising 1-3 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of:
• N, O and S, and wherein the remaining ring atoms are carbon (and wherein said heteroaryl definition applies to the heteroaryl moieties in the R1 fused heteroarylheteroaryl, substituted fused heteroarylheteroaryl, fused arylheteroaryl, substituted arylheteroaryl, fused heterocycloalkyl-heteroaryl, substituted fused heterocycloalkylheteroaryl, and fused heteroarylaryl- groups);
• and wherein said heterocycloalkyl moiety of said R1 groups is a 3-10 membered ring comprising 1-3 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of:
• N, O and S, and wherein the remaining ring atoms are carbon (and wherein said heterocycloalkyl definition applies to the heterocycloalkyl moieties in the R1 fused heterocycloalkylheteroaryl and substituted fused heterocycloalkylheteroaryl groups);
• and wherein said heterocycloalkenyl moiety of said R1 groups is a 3-10 membered ring comprising 1-2 double bonds, and 1-3 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of:
• N, O and S, and the remaining ring atoms are carbon;
• and wherein said fused heteroarylheteroaryl moiety of said R1 groups is a heteroaryl, as defined above, fused to a heteroaryl, as defined above, such that there are two ring atoms in common with each heteroaryl, and wherein the total ring atoms are 8-11, and wherein said fused ring comprises 1-4 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of:
• O, N and S, and wherein the remaining ring atoms are carbon;
• and wherein said fused heterocycloalkylheteroaryl moiety of said R1 groups comprises a heteroaryl, as defined above, fused to a heterocyloalkyl, as defined above, such that there are two ring atoms in common with the heterocycloalkyl and heteroaryl, wherein said heterocycloalkyl is bound to the rest of the molecule, and wherein said heterocycloalkyl moiety comprises 1-3 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of:
• N, O and S, and wherein said heteroaryl moiety comprises 1-3 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of:
• N, S, and O;
• and wherein said fused arylheteroaryl moiety of said R1 groups comprises a C6-C10 aryl fused to a heteroaryl, as defined above, wherein the aryl and the heteroaryl have 2 ring atoms in common;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of:
• H, halo, —NH2, —OH and —(C1-C3)alkyl;
• R3 is selected from the group consisting of:
• H, halo, (C1-C6alkyl), and (C1-C6alkyl) substituted with 1-2 —OH groups, —(C3-C6 cycloalkyl), —(C1-C6alkyl)-O—(C1-C6alkyl), —(C1-C6alkyl)-N(C1-C6alkyl)2 wherein each alkyl is independently selected, and —(C1-C6alkyl)-heterocycloalkyl, wherein said heterocycloalkyl is as defined above for R1;
• R4 is selected from the group consisting of:
• H, halo, (C6-C14)aryl(C1-C6)-alkyl-, and substituted (C6-C14)aryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroaryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, substituted heteroaryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, fused (C3-C7)cycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, substituted fused (C3-C7)cycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, fused heterocycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, substituted fused heterocycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl;
• wherein said substituted R4 moieties are substituted with 1-3 substitutents independently selected from the group consisting of:
• halo, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-O—(C1-C6)alkyl;
• and wherein said heteroaryl moiety and said heterocycloalkyl moiety is as defined above in R1;
• each R6, R7, and R8 is independently selected from the group consisting of:
• H, halo, (C6-C14)aryl(C1-C6)-alkyl-, and substituted (C6-C14)aryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroaryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, substituted heteroaryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, fused (C3-C7)cycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, substituted fused (C3-C7)cycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, fused heterocycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, substituted fused heterocycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl;
• wherein said substituted R6, R7, R8 moieties are substituted with 1-3 substitutents independently selected from the group consisting of:
• halo, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-O—(C1-C6)alkyl;
• and wherein said heteroaryl moiety and said heterocycloalkyl moiety is as defined above in R1;
• R9 is selected from the group consisting of:
• H, (C6-C10)aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, and substituted (C6-C14)aryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroaryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, substituted heteroaryl(C1-C6)alkyl-, fused (C3-C7)cycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, substituted fused (C3-C7)cycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, fused heterocycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl, substituted fused heterocycloalkyl(C6-C14)aryl;
• wherein said substituted R9 moieties are substituted with 1-3 substitutents independently selected from the group consisting of:
• halo, OH, CN, CF3, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl-O—(C1-C6)alkyl;
• and wherein said heteroaryl moiety and said heterocycloalkyl moiety is as defined above for R1;
• each R10 is independently selected from the group consisting of:
• C1-C6alkyl,
• R11 is selected from the group consisting of:
• a 4-7 membered heterocycloalkyl ring comprising 1-3 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of:
• O, S and N;
• and R12 and R13 are independently selected from the group consisting of:
• H, (C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)OR10, —C(O)R10;
• said alkyl group optionally substituted with 1-4 substitutents independently selected from the group consisting of:
• halo.