Use of pyrimidine—or triazine—2 carbonitiles for treating diseases associated with cysteine prostease activity and novel pyrimidine-2-carbonitile derivatives

A pharmaceutical composition which comprises a compound of formula (I):

• in which:
• X is CA where A is hydrogen, halogen, CHR2R3, OR2, NR2R3, or SR2;
• R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or C3-6 cycloalkyl both of which can optionally contain one or more O, S or NR4 groups where R4 is hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl, and can be optionally substituted by aryl, heteroaryl, NR5R6 where R5 and R6 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 4–7 membered ring optionally containing a further O, S, NR4, or R2 and R3 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 4–7 membered ring optionally containing a further O, S, NR4 group, or R2 and R3 are aryl or heteroaryl groups, both aryl and heteroaryl groups being optionally substituted by halogen, amino, hydroxy, cyano, nitro, carboxy, CONR7R8, SO2NR7R8, SO2R4, trifluoromethyl, NHSO2R4, NHCOR4, ethylenedioxy, methylenedioxy, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkoxy, NR7R8 or SR7 where R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl;
• R and R1 are independently a group Y(CH2)pR9 where p is 0, 1, 2 or 3 and Y is O or NR10 where R10 is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or C3-6 cycloalkyl;
• and R9 is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl which can optionally contain one or more O, S or NR4 groups where R4 is hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl, or a 3 to 7-membered saturated ring optionally containing a carbonyl group, one or more O, S or N atoms, or an aryl or heteroaryl group containing one to four heteroatoms selected from O, S or N, the saturated ring, aryl and heteroaryl groups all being optionally substituted by halogen, amino, hydroxy, cyano, nitro, carboxy, CONR7R8, SO2NR7R8, SO2R4, trifluoromethyl, NHSO2R4, NHCOR4, ethylenedioxy, methylenedioxy, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6alkoxy, SR5 or NR11R12 where R11 and R12 are independently hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 5- or 6-membered saturated ring optionally containing a further O, S or NR4 group;
• or R/R1 is a group NR10(CHR10) CONR2R3 or NR10(CH2)qCONR2R3 where q is 1, 2 or 3;
• or R/R1 is a group NR13R14 where R13 and R14 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 4 to 7-membered saturated ring optionally containing a carbonyl group, O, S or N atom and optionally substituted by C1-6alkyl, amino, hydroxy, CO2C1-6alkyl, halogen, NR5R6, NR7R8, C1-6 alkylNR17R18 where R17 and R18 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl, CONR15R16 where R15 and R16 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl, or optionally substituted by aryl, phenoxy, COphenyl, or a heteroaryl group, the latter four groups being optionally substituted by halogen, amino, hydroxy, cyano, nitro, carboxy, CONR7R8, SO2NR7R8, SO2R4, trifluoromethyl, NHSO2R4, NHCOR4, ethylenedioxy, methylenedioxy, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkoxy, SR5 or NR11R12 where R11 and R12 are independently hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 5- or 6-membered saturated ring optionally containing a further O, S or NR4 group;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• and a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent or carrier.