Levorphanol prodrugs and processes for making and using them

A compound having the following general formula:

• where L2 is absent, or is
• Y2 is absent, or [A-X—Z]n
• where A, X, Z are independently absent or selected from —O—, —S— or —(CR1R2)k—
• J is [M-W]p
• where M is absent or —(CR3R4)q—;
• and W is absent, or —O— or —S—
• R1, R2, R3, R4 are each independently selected from H, alkyl, aryl, alkyl aryl, alkoxy, haloalkyl, or haloaryl
• n and k are independently selected from 1-4
• p and q are independently selected from 1-4
• Gm2 is absent or selected independently for each repeating subunit from H, oxoacid, polyethylene glycol having from 2 to 5 ethylene oxide units, or a vitamin compound, and m is 1-4, except m is 1 when G2 is H;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

A compound comprising at least one conjugate of levorphanol having the following general formula:

• where L1 and L2 are independently absent, or
• Y1 and Y2 are independently either absent, or [A-X—Z]n
• where A, X, Z are independently selected for Y1 and Y2, and are independent of each other, either absent or selected from the group of —O—, —S—, or —(CR1R2)k—
• J is [M-W]p
• where M is absent or —(CR3R4)q—;
• and W is absent, or —O— or —S—
• R1, and R2, are each independently selected for Y1 and Y2, and are, independent of each other, selected from H, alkyl, aryl, alkyl aryl, alkoxy, haloalkyl, or haloaryl
• R3 and R4 are each independently selected from H, alkyl, aryl, alkyl aryl, alkoxy, haloalkyl, or haloaryl
• for each Y1 and Y2, n is independently an integer of 1-4
• for each repeating unit of [A-X—Z]n, when (CR1R2)k is present, k is independently an integer of 1-4
• p and q are independently selected from 1-4
• Gm1 and Gm2 are independently absent, or selected independently of each other and, when present, each repeating subunit is independently selected from H, oxoacid, polyethylene glycol having from 2 to 5 ethylene oxide units, or a vitamin compound;
• where m is selected independently for G1 and G2, and is an integer of 1-4, except that m is 1 when G1 or G2 is a hydrogen atom;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.