Arylsulfones and uses related thereto

A compound having the formula:

• or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, stereoisomers, or prodrugs thereof, wherein:
• R1 is a member selected from the group consisting of —OH, halogen and (C1-C8)haloalkyl;
• R2 and R3 are members independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, (C1-C8)alkyl, (C2-C8)alkenyl, (C2-C8)alkynyl, (C1-C8)alkoxy, (C1-C8)haloalkyl, (C2-C8)hydroxyalkyl and (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, wherein no more than two of R1, R2 and R3 are halogen;
• R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are each members independently selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, —CN, —NO2, (C1-C8)alkyl, (C2-C8)alkenyl, (C2-C8)alkynyl, (C1-C8)haloalkyl, (C2-C8)hydroxyalkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl(C1-C6)alkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl(C1-C6)alkoxy, aryl, aryl(C1-C6)alkyl, —C(O)R′, —C(O)OR′, —NR′C(O)OR″, —OR″, —OC(O)R′, —C(O)N(R′)2, —S(O)R″, —SO2R″, —SO2N(R′)2, —N(R′)2, —NR′C(O)R′, —X—C(O)R′, —X—C(O)OR′, —X—NR′C(O)OR″, —X—OR″, —X—OC(O)R′, —X—C(O)N(R′)2, —X—S(O)R″, —X—SO2R″, —X—SO2N(R′)2, —X—N(R′)2 and —X—NR′C(O)R′;
• and optionally two of R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 when attached to adjacent carbon atoms are combined to form a fused 5-, 6- or 7-membered aryl or cycloalkyl ring, and
• any fused ring portion, cycloalkyl portion, or aryl is optionally substituted with from one to four members selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, —CN, —NO2, (C1-C8)alkyl, (C2-C8)alkenyl, (C2-C8)alkynyl, (C1-C8)alkoxy, (C1-C8)haloalkyl, (C2-C8)hydroxyalkyl, —C(O)R′, —C(O)OR′, —NR′C(O)OR″, —OR′, —SR′, —OC(O)R′, —C(O)N(R′)2, —S(O)R″, —SO2R″, —SO2N(R′)2, —N(R′)2 and —NR′C(O)R′;
• wherein X is a branched or straight chain (C1-C8)alkylene group;
• each occurrence of R′ is independently H or an unsubstituted member selected from the group consisting of (C1-C8)alkyl, (C2-C8)alkenyl, (C2-C8)alkynyl, (C1-C4)alkoxy(C1-C4)alkyl, (C1-C8)haloalkyl, (C2-C8)hydroxyalkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, aryl, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl(C1-C6)alkyl, and aryl(C1-C6)alkyl;
• each occurrence of R″ is independently an unsubstituted member selected from the group consisting of (C1-C8)alkyl, (C2-C8)alkenyl, (C2-C8)alkynyl, (C1-C4)alkoxy(C1-C4)alkyl, (C1-C8)haloalkyl, (C2-C8)hydroxyalkyl, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, aryl, (C3-C8)cycloalkyl(C1-C6)alkyl, and aryl(C1-C6)alkyl;
• and
• R9 is H or halogen
• with the proviso that the compound is other than 2-{4-[4-(1-Hydroxy-1-methyl-ethyl)-benzenesulfonyl]-phenyl}-propan-2-ol or 1-(1-chloro-1-methylethyl)-4-(phenylsulfonyl)benzene.