Inhibitors of cruzipain and other cysteine proteases

A compound according to general formula (I):

• wherein:
• R1=C0-7-alkyl (when C=0, R1 is simply hydrogen), C3-6-cycloalkyl or Ar—C0-7-alkyl (when C=0, R1 is simply an aromatic moiety Ar);
• Ar is an aromatic moiety which is a 5- or 6-membered monocyclic or 9- or 10-membered bicyclic ring, wherein the aromatic ring is optionally substituted;
• Z=O or S;
• Y=CR5R6—CO, where R5 and R6 are independently chosen from C0-7-alkyl, C3-6-cycloalkyl or Ar—C0-7-alkyl;
• (X)o=CR7R8, where R7 and R8 are independently chosen from C0-7-alkyl, C3-6-cycloalkyl and Ar—C0-7-alkyl and o is a number from zero to three;
• (W)n=O, S, C(O), S(O) or S(O)2 or NR9, where R9 is chosen from C0-7-alkyl, C3-6-cycloalkyl and Ar—C0-7-alkyl and n is zero or one;
• (V)m=C(O), C(S), S(O), S(O)2, S(O)2NH, OC(O), NHC(O), NHS(O), NHS(O)2, OC(O)NH, C(O)NH or CR10OR11, where R10 and R11 are independently chosen from C0-7-alkyl, C3-6-cycloalkyl, Ar—C0-7-alkyl and m is a number from zero to three, provided that when m is greater than one, (V)m contains a maximum of one carbonyl or sulphonyl group;
• U=a stable 5- to 7-membered monocyclic or a stable 8- to 11-membered bicyclic ring which is either saturated or unsaturated and which includes zero to four heteroatoms (as detailed below), said ring selected from:
• wherein R12 is:
• C0-7-alkyl, C3-6-cycloalkyl, Ar—C0-7-alkyl, O—C0-7-alkyl, O—C3-6-cycloalkyl, O—Ar—C0-7-alkyl, S—C0-7-alkyl, S—C3-6-cycloalkyl, S—Ar—C0-7-alkyl, NH—C0-7-alkyl, NH—C3-6-cycloalkyl, NH—Ar—C0-7-alkyl, N(C0-7-alkyl)2, N(C3-6-cycloalkyl)2 or N(Ar—C0-7-alkyl)2 or, when it is part of the group CHR12 or CR12, R12 may be halogen;
• A is chosen from:
• CH2, CHR12, O, S and NR13;
• wherein R12 is as defined above and R13 is chosen from:
• C0-7-alkyl, C3-6-cycloalkyl and Ar—C0-7-alkyl;
• B, D and G are independently chosen from:
• CR12, where R12 is as defined above, or N;
• E is chosen from:
• CH2, CHR12, O, S and NR13, where R12 and R13 are defined as above;
• J, L, M, R, T, T2, T3 and T4 are independently chosen from:
• CR12 and N, where R12 is as defined above;
• T5 is chosen from:
• CH or N;
• q is a number from one to three, thereby defining a 5-, 6- or 7-membered ring.