Aralkyl and aralkylidene heterocyclic lactams and imides

A compound of the formula I

• wherein R1 is a group of the formula G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8 or G9 depicted below,
• a is zero to eight;
• each R13 is, independently, (C1-C4)alkyl or a (C1-C4)alkylene bridge from one of the ring carbons of the piperazine or piperidine ring of G1 or G2, respectively, to the same or another ring carbon or a ring nitrogen of the piperazine or piperidine ring of G1 or G2, respectively, having an available bonding site, or to a ring carbon of R6, when R6 has a ring structure, having an available bonding site;
• E is oxygen, sulfur, SO or SO2;
• X is hydrogen, chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo, cyano, (C1-C6)alkyl, hydroxy, trifluoromethyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, —SOt(C1-C6)alkyl wherein t is zero one or two, —CO2R10 or —CONR11R12;
• Y is an optionally substituted heteroalkyl bridge that, together with the atoms to which it is attached, forms a six membered heterocycle selected from the group consisting of thiomorpholin-3-on-2-yl, thiomorpholin-3,5-dion-2-yl, 1-oxo-thiomorpholin-3-on-2-yl and 1,1-dioxothiomorpholin-3-on-2-yl;
• wherein the substituents on any of the carbon atoms capable of supporting an additional bond, of said heteroalkyl bridge, are chloro, fluoro, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, trifluoromethyl or cyano;
• R2 is hydrogen, (C1-C4)alkyl, phenyl or naphthyl, wherein said phenyl or naphthyl may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, cyano and —SOk(C1-C6)alkyl wherein k is zero, one or two;
• R3 is —(CH2)mB, wherein m is zero, one, two or three and B is hydrogen, phenyl, naphthyl or a 5 or 6 membered heteroaryl group containing from one to four heteroatoms in the ring, and wherein each of the foregoing phenyl, naphthyl and heteroaryl groups may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, (C1-C6) alkoxy-(C1-C6)alkyl-, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, cyano, hydroxy, —COOH and —SOn(C1-C6)alkyl wherein n is zero, one or two;
• R6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C6)alkyl optionally substituted with (C1-C6)alkoxy or one to three fluorine atoms, or ((C1-C4)alkyl)aryl wherein the aryl moiety is phenyl naphthyl, or heteroaryl-(CH2)q—, wherein the heteroaryl moiety is selected from the group consisting of pyridyl, pyrimidyl, benzoxazolyl, benzothiazolyl, benzisoxazolyl and benzisothiazolyl and q is zero, one, two, three or four, and wherein said aryl and heteroaryl moieties may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, cyano and —SOg(C1-C6)alkyl, wherein g is zero, one or two;
• R7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C6)alkyl, ((C1-C4)alkyl)aryl wherein the aryl moiety is phenyl, naphthyl, or heteroaryl-(CH2)r—, wherein the heteroaryl moiety is selected from the group consisting of pyridyl, pyrimidyl, benzoxazolyl, benzothiazolyl, bonzisoxazolyl and benzisothiazolyl and r is zero, one, two, three or four, and wherein said aryl and heteroaryl moieties may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo, (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, —C(═O)—(C1-C6)alkyl, cyano and —SOj(C1-C6)alkyl, wherein j is zero, one or two;
• or R6 and R7 taken together form a 2 to 4 carbon chain;
• R8 is hydrogen or (C1-C3)alkyl;
• R9 is hydrogen or (C1-C6)alkyl;
• or R6 and R9, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a 5 to 7 membered heteroalkyl ring that may contain from zero to four heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen;
• and p is one, two, or three;
• each of R10, R11 and R12 is selected, independently, from the radicals set forth in the definition of R2;
• or R11 and R12, together with the nitrogen to which they are attached, form a 5 to 7 membered heteroalkyl ring that may contain from zero to four heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen;
• and
• the broken lines indicate optional double bonds, with the proviso that when the broken line in G2 is a double bond that R8 is absent;
• and that
• when R1 is G8, there is no optional double bond at the broken line position, R2 together with R14 and R15 form a double bond connecting the carbon atoms to which they are attached;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.