Substituted diarylamines as MEK inhibitors

A compound of formula I:

• or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof;
• wherein
• R1 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkoxy, halo, C1-2 haloalkyl, or CN;
• R3 and R4 are each independently hydrogen, halo, C1-2 haloalkyl, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkoxy, nitro, CN, or (O or NH)k—(CH2)j—R9, where R9 is hydrogen, hydroxy, CO2H or NR10R11;
• j is 0 to 4;
• k is 0 or 1;
• R10 and R11 are each independently hydrogen or C1-8 alkyl, or together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a 3- to 10-member cyclic ring optionally containing one, two, or three additional heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, S, NH, and N—C1-8 alkyl;
• A is hydroxy, C1-6 alkoxy, or NR6OR7;
• R6 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl, (CO)—C1-8 alkyl, phenyl, naphthyl, phenyl(C1-8 alkyl), or C3-10 cycloalkyl;
• R7 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl, C2-8 alkenyl, C2-8 alkynyl, C3-10 cycloalkyl or C3-10 cycloalkyl optionally containing a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of O, S, and NR9;
• X is NR13R12, or NR14;
• R12 and R13 are each independently hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, C2-6 alkynyl, C4-6 cycloalkyl, [(CH2)nY(CH2)m]qCH3, phenyl, naphthyl, (C1-6 alkyl)phenyl, —[(CH2)nY(CH2)m]qphenyl, C2-6 heteroaryl, (C1-6 alkyl)C2-6 heterocyclic radical, or [(CH2)nY(CH2)m]q C2-6 heterocyclic radical;
• Y is NH or O;
• R14 taken with N is a 5- to 7-membered heterocyclic radical with between 0 and 3 additional heteroatoms or heteroatom combinations in the ring selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO, SO2, NH, and NMe;
• 0≦n, m≦6, n+m≦8, 1≦q≦5;
• and
• wherein the above alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, heterocyclic radical, aryl, and cycloalkyl groups can be optionally substituted with between 1 and 4 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, C1-4 alkyl, fluoro, chloro, iodo, bromo, amino, and C1-4 alkoxy, and NRaRb;
• wherein Ra and Rb are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1-6 alkyl.