QUINUCLIDINE DERIVATIVES AS SQUALENE SYNTHASE INHIBITORS

摘要

Compounds of formula (I) and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts in which R<1> is hydrogen or hydroxy; R<2> is hydrogen; or R<1> and R<2> are joined together so that CR<1>-CR<2> is a double bond; X is selected from -CH2CH2-, -CH=CH-, -C=C-, -CH2O-, -CH2NH-, -NHCH2-, -CH2CO-, -COCH2-, -CH2S- and -SCH2-; Ar<1> is a phenylene moiety; Ar<2> is a heteroaryl moiety; and wherein one or both of Ar<1> and Ar<2> may optionally bear one or more substituents independently selected from halogeno, hydroxy, amino, nitro, cyano, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, alkylamino, di-alkylamino, N-alkylcarbamoyl, di-N,N-alkylcarbamoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylthio, alkylsulphinyl, alkylsulphonyl, halogeno-alkyl, carboxyalkyl and alkanoylamino; provided that when R<1> is hydroxy, X is not selected from -NHCH2- and -SCH2-; are inhibitors of squalene synthase and hence useful in treating medical conditions in which a lowering of cholesterol is beneficial, such as hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Processes for preparing these derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions containing them are also described together with their use in medicine.