C-terminal modified (N-substituted)-2-indolyl dipeptides as inhibitors of the ICE/ced-3 family of cysteine proteases

A compound of the following formula:

• wherein:
• n is 1 or 2:
• R1 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)atkyl, phenyl, substitutedphenyl, phenylalkyl, substitutedphenylalkyl, heteroaryl, (heteroaryl)alkyl of (CH2)mCO2R4, wherein m=1-4, and R4 is as defined below;
• R2 is a hydrogen atom, chloro, alkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, phenyl, substitutedphenyl, phenylalkyl, substitutedphenylalkyl, heteroaryl, (heteroaryl)alkyl or (C2)pCO2R5, wherein p=0-4, and R5 is as defined below;
• R3 is a hydrogen atom, alkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, phenylalkyl, or substitutedphenylalkyl;
• R4 is a hydrogen atom, alkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, phenylalkyl, or substitutedphenylalkyl;
• R5 is a hydrogen atom, alkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, phenylalkyl, or substitutedphenylalkyl;
• A is a natural or unnatural amino acid;
• B is a hydrogen atom, a deuterium atom, alkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, phenyl, substitutedphenyl, phenylalkyl, substitutedphenylalkyl, heteroaryl, (heteroaryl)alkyl, halomethyl, CH2ZR6, CH2OCO(aryl), or CH2OCO(heteroaryl), or CH2OPO(R7)R8, where Z is an oxygen, OC(═O) or a sulfur atom;
• R6 is phenyl, substituted phenyl, phenylalkyl, (substituted phenyl)alkyl, heteroaryl or (heteroaryl)alkyl;
• R7 and R8 are independently selected from a group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, phenylalkyl, (substituted phenyl)alkyl and (cycloalkyl)alkyl;
• and
• X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, halo, trihalomethyl, amino, protected amino, an amino salt, mono-substituted amino, di-substituted amino, carboxy, protected carboxy, a carboxylate salt, hydroxy, protected hydroxy, a salt of a hydroxy group, lower alkoxy, lower alkylthio, alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, substituted (cycloalkyl)alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, phenylalkyl, and (substituted phenyl)alkyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof.