Sulfonylphenylpyrazole compounds useful as COX-2 inhibitors

A compound having the formula I below

• wherein
• one of R1 and R2 is selected from the group consisting of:
• wherein
• R7 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino;
• X4 is selected from the group consisting of —SO2—, —SO(NR8)—;
• R8 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, and cycloalkyl;
• R9 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and halogen;
• the other of R1 and R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyalkyl, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, amido, amidoalkyl, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkenylalkyl, amino, aminocarbonyl, aminocarbonylalkyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino, arylamino, arylalkylamino, diarylamino, aryl, heterocyclic, heterocyclic(alkyl), cyano, nitro, and —Y—R10;
• Y is selected from the group consisting of, —O—, —S—, —C(R11)(R2)—, C(O)NR14—, —C(O)—, —C(O)O—, —NH—, —NC(O)—, and —NR13;
• R10 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, hydroxy, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, amino, cyano, aryl, arylalkyl, heterocyclic, and heterocyclic(alkyl);
• R11, R12, and R13 are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, alkoxy, aryl, arylalkyl, heterocyclic, heterocyclic (alkyl), and cyano;
• R14 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, alkoxy, aryl, arylalkyl, heterocyclic, heterocyclic(alkyl), and cyano;
• X2 is —O—;
• X3 is absent;
• R5 and R6 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, substituted and unsubstituted cycloalkyl, substituted and unsubstituted heterocycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl(substituted alkyl), and arylalkyl, or R5 and R6 are taken together with the atoms to which they are attached to form a 5- to 7-membered ring selected from the group consisting of a 5- to 7-membered aromatic or non-aromatic carbocyclic ring, said carbocyclic ring optionally substituted with one, two, or three substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, hydroxy, halogen, oxo, haloalkyl, cyano, and nitro, and 5- to 7-membered aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclic ring wherein the heterocyclic ring contains one heteratom selected from the group consisting of O, S, and N, said heterocyclic ring optionally substituted with one or two substituents selected from alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, hydroxy, and cyano;
• and
• the dashed bond represents an optional double bond;
• wherein the aryl group of aryl, arylamino, arylalkylamino, and diarylamino is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, naphthyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, naphthyridinyl, indanyl, and indenyl, and wherein the heterocyclic group of heterocyclic and heterocyclic(alkyl) is selected from the group consisting of azetidinyl, pyrrolyl, pyrrolinyl, pyrrolidinyl, pyrazolyl, pyrazolinyl, pyrazolidinyl, imidazolyl, imidazolinyl, imidazolidinyl, pyridyl, piperidinyl, homopiperidinyl, pyrazinyl, piperazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, oxazolyl, oxazolidinyl, isoxazolyl, isoxazolidinyl, morpholinyl, thiazolyl, thiazolidinyl, isothiazolyl, isothiazolidinyl, indolyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, benzimidazolyl, benzothiazolyl, benzoxazolyl, furyl, thienyl, and benzothienyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.