Cannabinoid receptor ligands

A compound of the formula

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof;
• wherein:
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, haloC1–C6alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylNH—, arylalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heteroaryl, —N(R2)2, —N(R2)aryl, unsubstituted aryl and aryl substituted with one to three X, wherein each R2 can be the same or different and is independently selected when there are more than one R2 present;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of H and C1–C6 alkyl;
• R3 is 1–3 substituents selected from the group consisting of H, C1–C6 alkyl, Cl, F, CF3, OCF2H, OCF3, OH and C1–C6 alkoxy, wherein R3 can be the same or different and is independently selected when there are more than one R3 present;
• R4 is pyridine-N-oxide or pyridyl optionally substituted with one to three X, wherein X can be the same or different and is independently selected when there are more than one X present;
• R5 is H or C1–C6 alkyl;
• R6 is H or C1–C6 alkyl;
• or
• R5 and R6 taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a carbonyl group;
• L1 is —SO2—, —SO—, or —S—;
• L2 is —SO2—, —SO—, or —S—;
• X is selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, CF3, CN, OCF2H, OCF2CF3, OCF3, OR2, C1–C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkoxy, C1–C6 alkoxy, alkoxyC1–C6 alkoxy, O-cycloalkyl, cycloalkylamino, cycloalkylalkoxy, heteroalkyl, —OSO2R2,
• —COOR2, —CON(R2)2, N(R2)2, and NR2aryl, wherein X can be the same or different, and is independently selected when there are more than one X present;
• Y is a covalent bond, —CH2—, —SO2—, or —C(O)—;
• Z is a covalent bond, —CH2—, —SO2— or —C(O)—;
• or
• Y, R1, Z and R2 can be taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached to form a heterocycloalkyl;
• with the following provisos:
• L2 and R4, when taken together, cannot have two heteroatoms covalently bonded together;
• when R2 is H, Z cannot be —S(O)—, —SO2—, or —C(O)—;
• and
• when Y is a covalent bond, R1 cannot form a N—N bond with the nitrogen atom.