Tetrahydrobenzothiophene compound

A compound of the formula (I) or a salt thereof:

• wherein
• R1 represents —O-lower alkyl, -lower alkylene-phenyl, or -lower alkylene-pyridyl, in which phenyl or pyridyl may be substituted with carboxy or —CO—O-lower alkyl, —CO—O-lower alkenyl, —CO—O-lower alkynyl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-O-lower alkyl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-aryl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-O-aryl, —CO—NH2, —CO—NH-lower alkyl, —CO—N(lower alkyl)2, —CO—N(lower alkyl)-aryl, —CO—N(lower alkyl)-(lower alkylene-aryl), —CO—NH-lower alkylene-OH, —CO—NH-lower alkylene-CO2H, —CO—O-methyl, —CO—O-ethyl, or —COO-tert-butyl,
• R2 and R3 are the same or different and each independently represents H, lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, nitrogen-containing saturated hetero ring, -lower alkylene-aryl, or -lower alkylene-heteroaryl, in which lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, and a nitrogen-containing saturated hetero ring may be substituted with halogen, -lower alkyl, pyridyl, carboxy, —CO—O-lower alkyl, —CO—O-lower alkenyl, —CO—O-lower alkynyl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-O-lower alkyl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-aryl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-O-aryl, —CO—NH, —CO—NH-lower alkyl, —CO—N(lower alkyl)2, —CO—N(lower alkyl)-aryl, —CO—N(lower alkyl)-lower alkylene-aryl), —CO—NH-lower alkylene-OH, —CO—NH-lower alkylene-CO2H, —CO—O-methyl, —CO—O-ethyl, —COO-tert-butyl, amino which may be substituted with one -lower alkyl, or the same or different two or more -lower alkyls, —O-lower alkyl, —[CH(—OH)]m—H or —OH, or
• R2 and R3 may be combined with the nitrogen atom to which they bind to form 5- to 7-membered saturated cyclic amino, in which the 5- to 7-membered saturated cyclic amino may be substituted with halogen, —OH, oxo(═O), —O-lower alkyl, cyano, nitro, cycloalkyl, aryl, hetero ring, -lower alkylene-aryl, -lower alkylene-hetero ring, -lower alkyl which may be substituted with halogen, —OH, —O-lower alkyl, or cyano, carboxy, —CO—O-lower alkyl, —CO—O-lower alkenyl, —CO—O-lower alkynyl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-O-lower alkyl, —CO—O-lower alkyelen-aryl, —CO—O-lower alkylene-O-aryl, —CO—NH2, —CO—NH-lower alkyl, —CO—N(lower alkyl)2, —CO—N(lower alkyl)-aryl, —CO—N(lower alkyl)-(lower alkylene-aryl), —CO—NH-lower alkylene-OH, —CO—NH-lower alkylene-CO2H, —CO—O-methyl, —CO—O-ethyl, —COO-tert-butyl or —CO-lower alkyl,
• R4's are the same as or different and each independently represents halogen, lower alkyl, —OH, —O-lower alkyl, —NO2, or a group represented by the formula (II):
• wherein R41 and R42 are the same or different and each independently represents H or lower-alkyl which may be substituted with —OH, or R41 and R42 may be combined with the nitrogen atom to which they bind to form 5- to 7-membered saturated cyclic amino, and
• m represents 1 to 5, and
• n represents 0 to 2,
• provided that N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-({3-[(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)sulfonyl]benzoyl}amino)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carboxamide is excluded.