Patent ID: 7678809

Claim:
A method of treating pain responsive to the modulation of opioid receptors, the method comprising administering to a patient in need thereof, an effective amount of a compound of formula I: wherein A is a saturated, unsaturated or partially unsaturated ring; X 1 is selected from the group consisting of a C 1-10 branched or straight alkyl, alkenyl, alkynylene optionally substituted with 1-3 halogen, oxo or phenyl groups, said phenyl group optionally substituted with 1-3 halogen or C 1-10 alkyl groups; R 1 is selected from the group consisting of C 3-12 cycloalkyl, C 3-12 cycloalkenyl, a monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic heteroaryl ring, a heteromonocyclic ring, and a heterobicyclic ring system, wherein said C 3-12 cycloalkyl, C 3-12 cycloalkenyl, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic heteroaryl ring, heteromonocyclic ring, and heterobicyclic ring system are optionally substituted with 1-3 substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, C 1-10 alkyl, nitro, trifluoromethyl, phenyl, benzyl, phenyloxy and benzyloxy, wherein said phenyl, benzyl, phenyloxy and benzyloxy are optionally substituted with halogen or C 1-10 alkyl; R 2 is selected from the group consisting of C 1-10 alkyl, C 3-12 cycloalkyl and halogen, said alkyl and cycloalkyl substituted with an oxo group; and R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, C 1-3 alkyl, C 1-3 alkoxy, C 1-3 carbonyl and halogen; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the opioid receptors are selected from the group consisting of ORL1, μ, δ or κ receptors, and the compound of formula I has an agonistic activity at the ORL1 receptor and one or more of the μ, δ or κ receptors.