Heteroaromatic glucokinase activators

A compound selected from the group consisting of amides of the formula:

• wherein,
• the * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom,
• R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, halo, amino, hydroxyamino, cyano, nitro, lower alkyl, —OR5, —C(O)OR6, perfluoro-lower alkyl, lower alkyl thio, perfluoro-lower alkyl thio, lower alkyl sulfonyl, lower alkoxy lower alkyl sulfonyl, perfluoro-lower alkyl sulfonyl, lower alkyl sulfinyl, or sulfonamido;
• R3 is cycloalkyl having from 3 to 7 carbon atoms or lower alkyl having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• R4 is an unsubstituted or mono-substituted triazine, pyrazine or pyridazine connected by a ring carbon atom to the amide group shown, with one heteroatom being nitrogen which is adjacent to the connecting ring carbon atom;
• said mono-substituted triazine, pyrazine or pyridazine 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, perfluoro-lower alkyl, oxo, —(CH2)n—OR7, —(CH2)n—C(O)—OR7, —(CH2)n—C(O)—NH—R7, —C(O)C(O)—OR7, or —(CH2)n—NHR7;
• n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;
• R5 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, or perfluoro-lower alkyl;
• R6 is lower alkyl;
• and
• R7 is hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.