N-acylsulfonamide apoptosis promoters

A method of promoting apoptosis in a mammal in recognized need of such treatment comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically acceptable amount of a compound of Formula (I)

• or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein
• A is selected from the group consisting of phenyl and a five- or six-membered aromatic carbocyclic ring wherein from one to three carbon atoms are replaced by a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and wherein A is substituted through carbon atoms in the ring;
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, haloalkyl, nitro and —NR5R6;
• R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkyl, alkylsulfanyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkoxy, aryloxy, aryloxyalkoxy, arylsulfanyl, arylsulfanylalkoxy, carbonyloxy, cycloalkylalkoxy, cycloalkyloxy, halo, haloalkoxy, haloalkyl, heterocycle, (heterocycle)oxy, hydroxy, nitro and —NR5R6;
• R4 is selected from the group consisting of aryl, arylalkenyl, arylalkoxy, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycle and (heterocycle)alkoxy;
• R5 and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, alkyl, alkylsulfanylalkyl, alkylsulfonylalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, arylalkylsulfanylalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, arylsulfanylalkyl, arylsulfinylalkyl, arylsulfonylalkyl, carboxyalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkenylalkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, cycloalkylcarbonyl, heterocycle, (heterocycle)alkyl, (heterocycle)sulfanylalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, a nitrogen protecting group and —N═CR7R8;
• or R5 and R6, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a ring selected from the group consisting of imidazolyl, morpholinyl, piperazinyl, piperidinyl, pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolyl, thiomorpholinyl and thiomorpholinyl dioxide;
• R7 and R8 are alkyl, or R7 and R8, together with the carbon atom to which they are attached, form an aryl group;
• and
• R15 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and halo.