A compound of formula VA-1: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein each of WR W2 and WR W4 is independently selected from hydrogen, CN, CF 3, halo, C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkyl, 3-12 membered cycloaliphatic, phenyl, C 5 -C 10 heteroaryl or C 3 -C 7 heterocyclic, wherein said heteroaryl or heterocyclic, has up to 3 heteroatoms selected from O, S, or N, wherein said WR W2 and WR W4 is independently and optionally substituted with up to three substituents selected from -OR', -CF 3, -OCF 3, SR', S R', SO 2 R', -SCF 3, halo, CN, -COOR', -COR', - O(CH 2) 2 N(R')(R'), -O(CH 2)N(R')(R'), -CON(R')(R'), -(CH 2)OR',-(CH 2)OR', CH 2 CN, optionally substituted phenyl or phenoxy, -N(R')(R'), -NR'C OR', -NR'C R', -(CH 2) 2 N(R')(R'), or-(CH 2)N(R')(R'); and W R W5 is selected from hydrogen, -OH, NH 2, CN, CHF 2, NHR', N(R') 2, -NHC R', -NHC OR', NHSO 2 R', -OR', CH 2 OH, CH 2 N(R') 2, C OR', SO 2 NHR', SO 2 N(R') 2, CH 2 O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), -CH 2 C (C 1 -C 6) alkyl), or CH 2 NHC OR'; and X is a bond: R X is hydrogen; R' is independently selected from hydrogen or an optionally substituted group selected from a C 1 -C 8 aliphatic group, a 3-8-membered saturated, partially unsaturated, or fully unsaturated monocyclic ring having 0-3 heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, or an 8-12 membered saturated, partially unsaturated, or fully unsaturated bicyclic ring system having 0-5 heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur; or two occurrences of R' are taken together with the atom(s) to which they are bound to form an optionally substituted 3-12 membered saturated, partially unsaturated, or fully unsaturated monocyclic or bicyclic ring having 0-4 heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur; provided that: i) of formula VA-1 is not phenyl, 2-methylphenyl, 2,4-dichlorophenyl, 2-bromophenyl, 4-bromophenyl, 2,4-dimethylphenyl, 2 - ethylphenyl, 3-carboxylic-acid phenyl, 2-fluorophenyl, 3-ethoxyphenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, or 3-methoxyphenyl; and ii) of formula VA-1 is not a phenyl substituted with -OCH 2 CH 2 Ph, -OCH 2 CH 2 (2-trifluoromethyl-phenyy, -OCH 2 CH 2 -(6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-2-yl), or substituted 1 H- pyrazol - 3-yl. wherein each of WR W2 and WR W4 is independently selected from hydrogen, CN, CF 3, halo, C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkyl, 3-12 membered cycloaliphatic, phenyl, C 5 -C 10 heteroaryl or C 3 -C 7 heterocyclic, wherein said heteroaryl or heterocyclic, has up to 3 heteroatoms selected from O, S, or N, wherein said WR W2 and WR W4 is independently and optionally substituted with up to three substituents selected from -OR', -CF 3, -OCF 3, SR', S R', SO 2 R', -SCF 3, halo, CN, -COOR', -COR', - O(CH 2) 2 N(R')(R'), -O(CH 2)N(R')(R'), -CON(R')(R'), -(CH 2)OR',-(CH 2)OR', CH 2 CN, optionally substituted phenyl or phenoxy, -N(R')(R'), -NR'C OR', -NR'C R', -(CH 2) 2 N(R')(R'), or-(CH 2)N(R')(R'); and W R W5 is selected from hydrogen, -OH, NH 2, CN, CHF 2, NHR', N(R') 2, -NHC R', -NHC OR', NHSO 2 R', -OR', CH 2 OH, CH 2 N(R') 2, C OR', SO 2 NHR', SO 2 N(R') 2, CH 2 O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), -CH 2 C (C 1 -C 6) alkyl), or CH 2 NHC OR'; and X is a bond: R X is hydrogen; R' is independently selected from hydrogen or an optionally substituted group selected from a C 1 -C 8 aliphatic group, a 3-8-membered saturated, partially unsaturated, or fully unsaturated monocyclic ring having 0-3 heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, or an 8-12 membered saturated, partially unsaturated, or fully unsaturated bicyclic ring system having 0-5 heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur; or two occurrences of R' are taken together with the atom(s) to which they are bound to form an optionally substituted 3-12 membered saturated, partially unsaturated, or fully unsaturated monocyclic or bicyclic ring having 0-4 heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur; provided that: i) of formula VA-1 is not phenyl, 2-methylphenyl, 2,4-dichlorophenyl, 2-bromophenyl, 4-bromophenyl, 2,4-dimethylphenyl, 2 - ethylphenyl, 3-carboxylic-acid phenyl, 2-fluorophenyl, 3-ethoxyphenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, or 3-methoxyphenyl; and ii) of formula VA-1 is not a phenyl substituted with -OCH 2 CH 2 Ph, -OCH 2 CH 2 (2-trifluoromethyl-phenyy, -OCH 2 CH 2 -(6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-2-yl), or substituted 1 H- pyrazol - 3-yl. i) of formula VA-1 is not phenyl, 2-methylphenyl, 2,4-dichlorophenyl, 2-bromophenyl, 4-bromophenyl, 2,4-dimethylphenyl, 2 - ethylphenyl, 3-carboxylic-acid phenyl, 2-fluorophenyl, 3-ethoxyphenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, or 3-methoxyphenyl; and ii) of formula VA-1 is not a phenyl substituted with -OCH 2 CH 2 Ph, -OCH 2 CH 2 (2-trifluoromethyl-phenyy, -OCH 2 CH 2 -(6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-2-yl), or substituted 1 H- pyrazol - 3-yl.