Patent ID: 7419974

Claim:
A method for treating obesity, type II diabetes, or irritable bowel disease, for delaying preterm birth, or for causing lipolysis, in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of a compound of formula (I): wherein A is a group of formula (a) or (b) R is a hydrogen or halogen atom, an —S(O) z (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, an —NHSO 2 (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, an —SO 2 NH(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, an —NHSO 2 (C 1 -C 4 )alkylene-phenyl group or an —NHSO 2 phenyl group, wherein the phenyl moiety is optionally substituted with a halogen atom, a (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group or a (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy group; R 1 is a hydrogen atom, a (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, a —CO(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, a phenyl-(C 1 -C 4 )alkylene group or a —COphenyl group, wherein the phenyl moiety is optionally substituted with a halogen atom or a (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy group; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, an —SO 2 (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, an —SO 2 (C 1 -C 4 )alkylene-phenyl group or an —SO 2 phenyl group; X taken together with the O and N atoms to which it is attached and the carbon atoms of the phenyl moiety to which the O and N atoms are attached form a 5 to 8 membered ring, wherein the 5 to 8 membered ring is saturated or unsaturated, and is optionally substituted with one or two (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl groups or one or two oxo groups; n, m and z are, independently 0, 1 or 2; R 3 is a hydrogen or halogen atom, a (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl group, a (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy group, a —COO(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, a —CO(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, an —NHSO 2 (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, an —NHSO 2 phenyl-(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group, —NO 2 , —CN, —CONR 4 R 5 , —COOH, or a 4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-yl or 4,4-dimethyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-yl group; and R 4 and R 5 are, independently, a hydrogen atom, a phenyl, a (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl group or a phenyl-(C 1 -C 4 )alkylene group; or R 4 and R 5 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a 5 to 7 membered ring; or a salt thereof.