N-linked sulfonamides of N-heterocyclic carboxylic acids or carboxylic acid isosteres

A method of stimulating neuronal regeneration and growth in a mammal having peripheral neuropathies caused by physical injury or disease state, physical damage to the brain, physical damage to the spinal cord, stroke associated with brain damage, or neurological disorders relating to neurodegeneration, comprising:

• administering to the animal an effective amount of a compound to stimulate growth of damaged peripheral nerves or to promote neuronal regeneration, where the compound has the formula (I):
• where
• n is 1;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C9 straight or branched chain alkyl, C2-C9 straight or branched chain alkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, carbocycle, and heterocycle;
• D is selected from the group consisting of a bond, C1-C10 straight or branched chain alkylene, C2-C10 alkenylene, and C2-C10 alkynylene;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of:
• —COOH, —SO3H, —SO2HNR3, —PO2H, —CN, —PO(OH)(OR3), —C(O)NHOH, —C(O)NHSO2R3, and —CONHCN;
• wherein said alkyl, alkenyl, alkylene, alkenylene, alkynylene, aryl, heteroaryl, carbocycle, heterocycle, or R2 is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from R3, where
• R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, halo, haloalkyl, thiocarbonyl, alkoxy, alkenoxy, alkylaryloxy, aryloxy, arylalkyloxy, cyano, nitro, imino, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, sulfhydryl, thioalkyl, alkylthio, sulfonyl, C1-C6 or branched chain alkyl, C2-C6 straight or branched chain alkenyl or alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, carbocycle, heterocycle, and CO2R4 where R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C9 straight or branched chain alkyl, and C2-C9 straight or branched chain alkenyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.