Tubulin polymerisation inhibitors

A method for treating a disease state by inhibiting tubulin polymerization including the step of administering to a patient in need thereof a compound of formula (Ia), or a salt thereof;

• wherein;
• X represents O or NR where R is selected from H, O, optionally substituted acyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, and optionally substituted sulfonyl;
• R1A, R1B and R1D each independently represents H, carboxyl, cyano, dihalomethoxy, halogen, hydroxy, nitro, pentahaloethyl, phosphono, phosphorylamino, phosphinyl, sulfo, trihaloethenyl, trihalomethanethio, trihalomethoxy, trihalomethyl, optionally substituted acyl, optionally substituted acylamino, optionally substituted acylimino, optionally substituted acyliminoxy, optionally substituted acyloxy, optionally substituted arylalkyl, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkenyloxy, optionally substituted alkoxy, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted alkynyloxy, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted aminoacyl, optionally substituted aminoacyloxy, optionally substituted aminosulfonyl, optionally substituted aminothioacyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted arylamino, optionally substituted aryloxy, optionally substituted cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted oxyacyl, optionally substituted oxyacylamino, optionally substituted oxyacylimino, optionally substituted oxyacyloxy, optionally substituted oxysulfinylamino, optionally substituted oxysulfonylamino, optionally substituted oxythioacyl, optionally substituted oxythioacyloxy, optionally substituted sulfinyl, optionally substituted sulfinylamino, optionally substituted sulfonyl, optionally substituted sulphonylamino, optionally substituted thio, optionally substituted thioacyl, optionally substituted thioacylamino, or optionally substituted thioacyloxy;
• R1C represents hydroxy, optionally substituted alkenyloxy, optionally substituted alkoxy, optionally substituted alkynyloxy, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, optionally substituted aryloxy, optionally substituted alkylthio or optionally substituted amino;
• R2A, R2C and R2E independently represents H, carboxyl, cyano, dihalomethoxy, halogen, hydroxy, nitro, pentahaloethyl, phosphono, phosphorylamino, phosphinyl, sulfo, trihaloethenyl, trihalomethanethio, trihalomethoxy, trihalomethyl, optionally substituted acyl, optionally substituted acylamino, optionally substituted acylimino, optionally substituted acyliminoxy, optionally substituted acyloxy, optionally substituted arylalkyl, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkenyloxy, optionally substituted alkoxy, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted alkynyloxy, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted aminoacyl, optionally substituted aminoacyloxy, optionally substituted aminosulfonyl, optionally substituted aminothioacyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted arylamino, optionally substituted aryloxy, optionally substituted cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted oxyacyl, optionally substituted oxyacylamino, optionally substituted oxyacyloxy, optionally substituted oxyacylimino, optionally substituted oxysulfinylamino, optionally substituted oxysulfonylamino, optionally substituted oxythioacyl, optionally substituted oxythioacyloxy, optionally substituted sulfinyl, optionally substituted sulfinylamino, optionally substituted sulfonyl, optionally substituted sulphonylamino, optionally substituted thio, optionally substituted thioacyl, optionally substituted thioacylamino, or optionally substituted thioacyloxy;
• R2D and R2B independently represent hydroxy, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, optionally substituted alkenyloxy, optionally substituted alkoxy, optionally substituted alkynyloxy, or optionally substituted aryloxy;
• R3 represents an optionally substituted heteroaryl group or an optionally substituted heterocyclyl group.