Patent ID: 8354397

Claim:
A method for inhibiting activation of a hedgehog pathway in a cell, comprising contacting the cell with a hedgehog antagonist in a sufficient amount to inhibit hedgehog signaling, wherein the hedgehog antagonist is an organic molecule represented in the formula (II): wherein, as valence and stability permit, X represents —N(R 8 )—; Z represents —NH— or a direct bond; Y represents —C(═O)—, —C(═S)— or SO 2 ; A represents O, or —NH—; G represents a phenyl or pyridyl ring fused to the ring to which it is attached; R 1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted benzene ring, cyclopentyl ring, cyclohexyl ring or heterocyclyl ring selected from substituted or unsubstituted thiophene, thianthrene, furan, pyran, isobenzofuran, chromene, xanthene, phenoxathiin, pyrrole, imidazole, pyrazole, isothiazole, isoxazole, pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyridazine, indolizine, isoindole, indole, indazole, purine, quinolizine, isoquinoline, quinoline, benzodioxane, benzodioxole, phthalazine, naphthyridine, quinoxaline, quinazoline, cinnoline, pteridine, carbazole, carboline, phenanthridine, acridine, pyrimidine, phenanthroline, phenazine, phenarsazine, phenothiazine, furazan, phenoxazine, pyrrolidine, oxolane, thiolane, oxazole, piperidine, piperazine, morpholine, lactone, lactam, azetidinone, pyrrolidinone, sultam or sultone rings; R 2 represents from 0-4 substituents on the ring to which it is attached, where the substituents are selected from halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, carbonyl group, thiocarbonyl, ketone, aldehyde, amino, cyano, nitro, azido, sulfonyl, sulfoxido, sulfate, sulfonate, sulfamoyl, sulfonamido, phosphoryl, phosphonate, phosphinate, J-R 8 , J-OH, J-lower alkyl, J-lower alkenyl, J-R 8 , J-SH, J-NH 2 , protected forms of the above, or any two R 2 , when occurring more than once in a cyclic or polycyclic structure, taken together form a 4- to 8-membered cycloalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl; R 3 represents a substituent on the ring to which it is attached, the substituent being at a position on the ring which is para to where the X group is attached or para to where the bicyclic ring containing the A group is attached, and the substituent being selected from halogen, hydroxyl, alkoxy, amino, alkylamino, cyano, nitro, substituted or unsubsituted lower alkyl, and acyl, R 8 , independently for each occurrence, represents H, lower alkyl or cycloalkyl; and J represents, independently for each occurrence, a chain having from 0-8 units selected from CK 2 , NK, O, and S, wherein K represents, independently for each occurrence, H or lower alkyl; provided that, when J is CK 2 , R 1 is not a cyclohexyl ring; and provided that, when R 8 is H, Z is a direct bond and Y is —C(═O)—, R 1 is not a disubstituted pyridine ring; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.