Heteroaromatic glucokinase activators

A compound selected from the group consisting of an amide of the formula:

• wherein, the * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom,
• R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, halo, amino, hydroxyamino, cyano, nitro, lower alkyl, —OR5,
• perfluoro-lower alkyl, lower alkyl thio, perfluoro-lower alkyl thio, lower alkyl sulfonyl, perfluoro-lower alkyl sulfonyl, lower alkyl sulfinyl, or sulfonamido, R3 is cycloalkyl having from 3 to 7 carbon atoms;
• R4 is an unsubstituted or mono-substituted five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring connected by a ring carbon atom to the amine group shown, which five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring contains from 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen, with one heteroatom being nitrogen which is adjacent to the connecting ring carbon atom;
• said mono-substituted heteroaromatic ring being monosubstituted at a position on a ring carbon atom other than adjacent to said connecting carbon atom with a substituent selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, halo, nitro, cyano,
• —(CH2)n-OR6,
• —(CH2)n-NHR6
• n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;
• R5 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, or perfluoro-lower alkyl and R6, R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.