POTASSIUM ION CHANNEL MODULATORS & USES THEREOF

Compounds of formula (I) and pharmacologically acceptable salts and pro- drugs wherein: Ar1 and Ar 2 =aryl orheteroaryl; a = 0 to 5; R1 =alkyl, halogen, haloalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino, monalkylamino, dialkylamino, nitro, acylamino, alkoxycarbonylamino, alkylsulphonyl, alkylsulphonylamino and cyano and, where a is >1, each R1 is thesame or different; b =0 to 5; R2 =alkyl, halogen, haloalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino, monalkylamino, dialkylamino, nitro, acylamino, alkoxycarbonylamino, alkylsulphonyl, alkylsulphonylamino and cyano andwhere b is >1, each R2 is the same or different; V =(CR3a R3b )p SO 2 N(R3b )X and (CR3a R3b ) pN(R3b )SO2 (X); W =NR4a, O, S, S=O, SO2 and C(R4a R 4b )2; X =hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, haloalkoxyalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, polyalkylene glycol residues, aminoalkyl, monoalkylaminoalkyl, dialkylaminoalkyl and alkyl groups substituted with >1 NR8R9 groups wherein R8 and R9 +nitrogen atom form a saturated or partially unsaturated heterocyclic group which isoptionally further substituted by >1 substituents selected from alkyl, halogen, haloalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxyl, nitro, amino, monoalkylamino, dialkylamino and hydroxyl; Y and Z each =(CR 5a R 5b ) n1, C=O, SO2, C(=O)NR 5a, C(=O)NR5a SO2 or C=O(R5a R 5b) n2; R3a, R3b, R4a, R4b, R5a and R5b each =hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl; n1 and n2 each =0 to 2; and p =0 to 2; are excellent selective modulators of potassium ion flux through KCNQ2, KCNQ3 and/or KCNQ2/3 channels, making them of use in treating and preventing a number of conditions including pain and lower urinary tract disorders. L'invention porte sur des composés représentés par la formule (I) et sur des sels pharmacologiquement acceptables et des promédicaments de ceux-ci. Dans cette formule : Ar1 et Ar2= aryle ou hétéroaryle ; a = 0 à 5 ; R1 = alkyle, halogène, haloalkyle, alcoxy, alcoxycarbonyle, carboxyle, hydroxyle, amino, monalkylamino, dialkylamino, nitro, acylamino, alcoxycarbonylamino, alkylsulfonyle, alkylsulfonylamino et cyano et, si a est > 1, les R1 sont identiques ou différents ; b = 0 à 5 ; R2 = alkyle, halogène, haloalkyle, alcoxy, alcoxycarbonyle, carboxyle, hydroxyle, amino, monalkylamino, dialkylamino, nitro, acylamino, alcoxycarbonylamino, alkylsulfonyle, alkylsulfonylamino et cyano et si b est > 1, les R2 sont identiques ou différents ; V = (CR3a R3b)pSO2N(R3b)X et (CR3a R3b)pN(R3b)SO2(X) ; W = NR4a, O, S, S=O, SO2 et C(R4aR4b)2; X