| abstract |
A compound of formula (I) n n n or a salt, ester, amide or prodrug thereof; R 5 is an optionally substituted 6 -membered aromatic ring containing at least one nitrogen atom, and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 are independently selected from halogeno, cyano, nitro, C 1-3 alkysulphonyl, —N(OH)R 7 — (wherein R 7 is hydrogen, or C 1-3 alkyl), or R 9 X 1 — (wherein X 1 represents a direct bond, —O—, —CH 2 —, —OC(O)—, —C(O)—, —S—, —SO—, —SO 2 —, —NR 10 C(O)—, —C(O)NR 11 —, —SO 2 NR 12 —, —NR 13 SO 2 — or —NR 14 — (wherein R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , R 13 and R 14 each independently represents hydrogen, C 1-3 alkyl or C 1-3 alkoxyC 2-3 alkyl), and R 9 is hydrogen, optionally substituted hydrocarbyl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl or optionally substituted alkoxy); provided that at least one of R 2 or R 3 is other than hydrogen. These compounds are inhibitors of aurora 2 kinase. Thus they, and pharmaceutical compositions containing them, are useful in methods of treatment of proliferative disease such as cancer and in particular cancers such as colorectal or breast cancer where aurora 2 is upregulated. |