Alkynyl phenyl heteroaromatic glucokinase activators

A compound of the formula:

• wherein R is hydrogen, lower alkyl, hydroxy lower alkyl, lower alkoxy lower alkyl,
• an unsubstituted or hydroxy substituted cycloalkyl ring containing 5 or 6 carbon atoms, a five- or six-membered saturated heterocyclic ring which contains from 1 to 3 hetero ring atoms selected from the group consisting of sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen, or an unsubstituted five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring, connected by a ring carbon atom, which contains from 1 to 3 heteroatoms in the ring selected from the group consisting of sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen;
• R3 is cycloalkyl having 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 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)m—OR6,
• —(CH2)m—NHR6;
• n is the integer 0, 1 or 2;
• m is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;
• R1, R2, R6, R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen or lower alkyl and * designates
• the assymetric carbon atom center;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.