Pyridyl imidazole compounds and compositions

A compound represented by the formula:

• ##STR16## R.sub.1 is 4-pyridyl ring, which ring is optionally substituted with one or two substituents each of which is independently selected from C.sub.1-4 alkyl, halogen, hydroxyl, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, C.sub.1-4 alkylthio, C.sub.1-4 alkylsulfinyl, CH.sub.2 OR.sub.12, amino, mono or di-C.sub.1-6 alkyl substituted amino, N(R.sub.10)C(O)R.sub.a or an N-heterocyclyl ring which ring has from 5 to 7 members and optionally contains an additional heteroatom selected from oxygen, sulfur or NR.sub.15 ;
• R.sub.4 is phenyl, naphth-1-yl or naphth-2-yl which is optionally substituted by one or two substituents, each of which is independently selected, and which, for a 4-phenyl, 4-naphth-1-yl, 5-naphth-2-yl or 6-naphth-2-yl substituent, is halogen, cyano, nitro, --C(Z)NR.sub.7 R.sub.17, --C(Z)OR.sub.16, --(CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.v COR.sub.12, --SR.sub.5, --SOR.sub.5, --OR.sub.12, halo-substitutedC.sub.1-4 alkyl, C.sub.1-4 alkyl, --ZC(Z)R.sub.12, --NR.sub.10 C(Z)R.sub.16, or --(CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.v NR.sub.10 R.sub.20 and which, for other positions of substitution, is halogen, cyano, --C(Z)NR.sub.13 R.sub.14, --C(Z)OR.sub.3, --(CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.m "COR.sub.3, --S(O).sub.m R.sub.3, --OR.sub.3, halo-substitutedC.sub.1-4 alkyl, --C.sub.1-4 alkyl, --(CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.m "NR.sub.10 C(Z)R.sub.3, --NR.sub.10 S(O).sub.m 'R.sub.8, --NR.sub.10 S(O).sub.m 'NR.sub.7 R.sub.17, --ZC(Z)R.sub.3 or --(CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.m "NR.sub.13 R.sub.14 ;
• v is 0, or an integer having a value of 1 or 2;
• m is 0, or the integer 1 or 2;
• m' is an integer having a value of 1 or 2,
• m" is 0, or an integer having a value of 1 to 5;
• R.sub.2 is heterocyclyl, heterocyclylC.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.3-7 cycloalkyl, C.sub.3 -7 cycloalkylC.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.5-7 cycloalkenyl, C.sub.5-7 cycloalkenyl-C.sub.1-10 -alkyl, ary, arylC.sub.1-10 alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl-C.sub.1-10 -alkyl, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n OR.sub.11, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n S(O).sub.m R.sub.18, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n NHS(O).sub.2 R.sub.18, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n NR.sub.13 R.sub.14, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n C(Z)R.sub.11, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n N(OR.sub.6)C(Z)R.sub.11, wherein the cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl alkyl, heterocyclic and heterocyclic alkyl groups may be optionally substituted;
• n is an integer having a value of 1 to 10;
• Z is oxygen or sulfur;
• R.sub.a is hydrogen, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.3-7 cycloalkyl, aryl, arylC.sub.1-4 alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylC.sub.1-4 alkyl, heterocyclyl, or heterocyclylC.sub.1-4 alkyl;
• R.sub.3 is heterocyclyl, heterocyclylC.sub.1-10 alkyl or R.sub.8 ;
• R.sub.5 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-4 alkyl, C.sub.2-4 alkenyl, C.sub.2-4 alkynyl or NR.sub.7 R.sub.17, excluding the moieties --SR.sub.5 being --SNR.sub.7 R.sub.17 and --SOR.sub.5 being --SOH;
• R.sub.6 is hydrogen, a pharmaceutically acceptable cation, C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.3-7 cycloalkyl, aryl, arylC.sub.1-4 alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heterocyclyl, aroyl, or C.sub.1-10 alkanoyl;
• R.sub.7 and R.sub.17 is each independently selected from hydrogen or C.sub.1-4 alkyl or R.sub.7 and R.sub.17 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring of 5 to 7 members which ring optionally contains an additional heteroatom selected from oxygen, sulfur or NR.sub.15 ;
• R.sub.8 is C.sub.1-10 alkyl, halo-substituted C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.2-10 alkenyl, C.sub.2-10 alkynyl, C.sub.3-7 cycloalkyl, C.sub.5-7 cycloalkenyl, aryl, arylC.sub.1-10 alkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylC.sub.1-10 alkyl, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n OR.sub.11, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n S(O).sub.m R.sub.18, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n NHS(O).sub.2 R.sub.18, (CR.sub.10 R.sub.20).sub.n NR.sub.13 R.sub.14 ;
• wherein the aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl alkyl may be optionally substituted;
• R.sub.9 is hydrogen, --C(Z)R.sub.11 or optionally substituted C.sub.1-10 alkyl, S(O).sub.2 R.sub.18, optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted aryl-C.sub.1-4 alkyl;
• R.sub.10 and R.sub.20 is each independently selected from hydrogen or C.sub.1-4 alkyl;
• R.sub.11 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.3-7 cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl C.sub.1-10 alkyl, aryl, arylC.sub.1-10 alkyl, heteroaryl or heteroarylC.sub.1-10 alkyl;
• R.sub.12 is hydrogen or R.sub.16 ;
• R.sub.13 and R.sub.14 is each independently selected from hydrogen or optionally substituted C.sub.1-4 alkyl, optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted aryl-C.sub.1-4 alkyl, or together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring of 5 to 7 members which ring optionally contains an additional heteroatom selected from oxygen, sulfur or NR.sub.9 ;
• R.sub.15 is R.sub.10 or C(Z)-C.sub.1-4 alkyl;
• R.sub.16 is C.sub.1-4 alkyl, halo-substituted-C.sub.1-4 alkyl, or C.sub.3-7 cycloalkyl;
• R.sub.18 is C.sub.1-10 alkyl, C.sub.3-7 cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heterocyclyl, heterocyclylC.sub.1-10 alkyl, heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.