Alpha amino acid derivatives-inhibitors of leukocyte adhesion mediated by VLA-4

A method for treating a disease in a patient, said disease selected from the group consisting of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease which method comprises administering to said patient a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (Ia) or (Ib):

• wherein:
• Ar1 is pyrimidinyl optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, amino, substituted amino, aryl, substituted aryl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocyclic and substituted heterocyclic;
• R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxy, halo, and mono- and dialkyl-amino;
• q is an integer from 0 to 2;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl;
• Y is CH or N;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, and substituted cycloalkenyl;
• and
• X is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, alkoxy and substituted alkoxy;
• or an enantiomer, diastereomer or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• wherein the compound of Formula I(a) or I(b) has a binding affinity to VLA-4 as expressed by an IC50 of about 15 μM or less.

A method for treating rheumatoid arthritis in a patient which method comprises administering to said patient a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (Ia) or (Ib):

• wherein:
• Ar1 is pyrimidinyl optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, amino, substituted amino, aryl, substituted awl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heterocyclic and substituted heterocyclic;
• R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxy, halo, and mono- and dialkyl-amino;
• q is an integer from 0 to 2;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl;
• Y is CH or N;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, awl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, and substituted cycloalkenyl;
• and
• X is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, alkoxy and substituted alkoxy;
• or an enantiomer, diastereomer or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• wherein the compound of Formula I(a) or I(b) has a binding affinity to VLA-4 as expressed by an IC50 of about 15 μM or less.