Imidazole derivatives as inhibitors of TAFIa

A compound of formula I:

• or any stereoisomeric fan of the compound of the formula I or a mixture of these forms in any ratio or a physiologically acceptable salt of the compound of the formula I where
• n is an integer zero or 1,
• U is:
• —(C1-C4)-alkylene-Het-Z in which Het is a heteroaromatic ring system having 4 to 15 carbon atoms which are present in one, two or three ring systems which are attached to one another and which contain one, two, three or four identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur and in which Het is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted by —(C1-C4)-alkyl, or —(C0-C2)-alkylene-(C3-C8)-cycloalkyl-(C1-C2)—Z where Z is:
• a basic nitrogen-containing group,
• R is:
• a hydrogen atom;
• —(C1-C6)-alkyl;
• —(C1-C6)-alkylene-OH;
• —(C0-C4)-alkylene-(C3-C6)-cycloalkyl;
• —(C1-C10)-alkylene-O—C(O)—O—R1;
• —(C0-C3)-alkylene-(C6-C14)-aryl, where aryl is unsubstituted or independently of one another mono-, di- or trisubstituted by R1;
• or —(C0-C3)-alkylene-Het, where Het is as defined above and is unsubstituted or independently mono-, di- or trisubstituted by R1,
• V is:
• a hydrogen atom, —(C1-C4)-alkyl, halogen, —(C6-C14)-aryl, —NO2, —NH2, —OH or —CF3,
• W is:
• —(C1-C4)-alkylene, where alkylene is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen,
• X is an aromatic five- to thirteen-membered heterocycle whose ring systems contain 5 to 13 carbon atoms which are present in one, two or three ring systems attached to one another and which may contain one, two, three or four identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, where the heterocycle is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1, except for the case where X is pyridyl and Y is a hydrogen atom,
• Y is:
• —(C1-C8)-alkyl, where alkyl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1;
• —(C1-C3)-perfluoroalkyl;
• —(C0-C4)-alkylene-(C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, where cycloalkyl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1;
• —(C0-C4)-alkylene-(C6-C14)-aryl, where aryl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1;
• or —(C0-C4)-alkylene-heterocycle, where the heterocycle is an aromatic five- to thirteen-membered heterocycle whose ring systems contain 5 to 13 carbon atoms which are present in one, two or three ring systems attached to one another and which may contain one, two, three or four identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, where the heterocycle is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1, if n is the integer zero, or
• Y is:
• —(C1-C3)-perfluoroalkyl;
• —(C0-C4)-alkylene-(C3-C12)-cycloalkyl, where cycloalkyl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1;
• —(C0-C4)-alkylene-(C6-C14)-aryl, where aryl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1;
• or —(C0-C4)-alkylene-heterocycle, where the heterocycle is as defined above and the heterocycle is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by R1, if n is the integer 1,
• R1 is:
• a halogen;
• —NO2;
• —CN;
• —N(R2)-R3, where R2 and R3 are identical or different and independently of one another are a hydrogen atom, —(C1-C6)-alkyl, —(C0-C3)-alkylene-(C6-C14)-aryl, —(C0-C3)-alkylene-Het, where Het is as defined above, or —(C0-C3)-alkylene-(C3-C6)-cycloalkyl;
• —OH;
• —C(O)—O—R4, where R4 is a hydrogen atom, —(C1-C6)-alkyl, —(C0-C3)-alkylene-(C6-C14)-aryl, —(C0-C3)-alkylene-Het, where Het is as defined above, or —(C0-C3)-alkylene-(C3-C6)-cycloalkyl;
• —C(O)—N(R2)-R3, where R2 and R3 are identical or different and independently of one another are as defined above;
• —O—CF3;
• —(C0-C4)-alkylene-(C6-C14)-aryl, where aryl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by halogen, —(C1-C4)-alkyl, —(C3-C8)-cycloalkyl, halogen or —O—(C1-C8)-alkyl;
• —(C0-C4)-alkylene-(C3-C6)-cycloalkyl;
• —(C1-C8)-alkyl, where alkyl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by halogen, —NH2, —OH or methoxy;
• —O—(C1-C8)-alkyl, where alkyl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by halogen, —NH2, —OH or methoxy;
• —O—(C1-C4)-alkylene-(C6-C14)-aryl, where aryl is unsubstituted or mono-, di- or trisubstituted independently by halogen, —(C1-C4)-alkyl, —(C3-C8)-cycloalkyl, or —O—(C1-C8)-alkyl;
• —SO2—CH3;
• or —SO2—CF3.