Patent ID: 8912199

Claim:
A method of treating or lessening the severity of pancreatic insufficiency or male infertility in a patient, comprising the step of administering to said patient an effective amount of a compound of the formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R 1 is —Z A R 4 , wherein each Z A is independently a bond or an optionally substituted branched or straight C 1-6 aliphatic chain wherein up to two carbon units of Z A are optionally and independently replaced by —CO—, —CS—, —CONR A —, —CONR A NR A —, —CO 2 —, —OCO—, —NR A CO 2 —, —O—, —NR A CONR A —, —OCONR A —, —NR A NR A —, —NR A CO—, —S—, —SO—, —SO 2 —, —NR A —, —SO 2 NR A —, —NR A SO 2 —, or —NR A SO 2 NR A —, Each R 4 is independently R A , halo, —OH, —NH 2 , —NO 2 , —CN, or —OCF 3 , Each R A is independently hydrogen, an optionally substituted aliphatic, an optionally substituted cycloaliphatic, an optionally substituted heterocycloaliphatic, an optionally substituted aryl, or an optionally substituted heteroaryl; Each R 2 is independently —Z B R 5 , wherein each Z B is independently a bond or an optionally substituted branched or straight C 1-6 aliphatic chain wherein up to two carbon units of Z B are optionally and independently replaced by —CO—, —CS—, —CONR B —, —CONR B NR B —, —CO 2 —, —OCO—, —NR B CO 2 —, —O—, —NR B CONR B —, —OCONR B —, —NR B NR B —, —NR B CO—, —S—, —SO—, —SO 2 —, —NR B —, —SO 2 NR B —, —NR B SO 2 —, or —NR B SO 2 NR B —, Each R 5 is independently R B , halo, —OH, —NH 2 , —NO 2 , —CN, —CF 3 , or —OCF 3 , Each R B is independently hydrogen, an optionally substituted aliphatic, an optionally substituted cycloaliphatic, an optionally substituted heterocycloaliphatic, an optionally substituted aryl, or an optionally substituted heteroaryl, Or, any two adjacent R 2 groups together with the atoms to which they are attached form an optionally substituted carbocycle or an optionally substituted heterocycle; Ring A is an optionally substituted 3-7 membered monocyclic ring having 0-3 heteroatoms selected from N, O, and S; Ring B is a group having formula Ia: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein p is 0-2, Each R 3 and R′ 3 is independently —Z C R 6 , where each Z C is independently a bond or an optionally substituted branched or straight C 1-6 aliphatic chain wherein up to two carbon units of Z C are optionally and independently replaced by —CO—, —CS—, —CONR C —, —CONR C NR C —, —CO 2 —, —OCO—, —NR C CO 2 —, —O—, —NR C CONR C —, —OCONR C —, —NR C NR C —, —NR C CO—, —S—, —SO—, —SO 2 —, —NR C —, —SO 2 NR C —, —NR C SO 2 —, or —NR C SO 2 NR C —, Each R 6 is independently R C , halo, —OH, —NH 2 , —NO 2 , —CN, or —OCF 3 , Each R C is independently hydrogen, an optionally substituted aliphatic, an optionally substituted cycloaliphatic, an optionally substituted heterocycloaliphatic, an optionally substituted aryl, or an optionally substituted heteroaryl, Or, any two adjacent R 3 groups together with the atoms to which they are attached form an optionally substituted heterocycle; and n is 1-3.