US Patent 6903089 Lactam-substituted pyrazolopyridine derivatives

The invention relates to novel pyrazolopyridine derivatives of formula (I)wherein R1 represents NH2 or NHCO-C1-6-alkyl, and R2 represents a radical of formula R3NCOR4 which is bonded to the remainder of the molecule by means of the nitrogen atom, R3 and R4 forming, together with the amide group to which they are bonded, a five to seven-membered heterocycle which may be saturated or partially unsaturated, may optionally contain a further heteroatom selected from the group N, O, and S and may comprise between one and five other substituents chosen from oxo, C1-6alkyl, hydroxyl, hydroxy-C1-6-alkyl, halogen, or may be fused to a C6-10 ARYL ring or a C3-8 cycloalkyl ring in which optionally two carbon atoms are bonded to each other by means of an oxygen atom. The invention also relates to salts, isomers and hydrates of the derivatives in the form of stimulators of soluble guanylate cyclase and as agents for treating cardiovascular diseases, hypertonia, thrombo-embolic diseases and ischaemia, sexual dysfunction, inflammations, and diseases of the central nervous system. Processes for preparing these materials, and pharmaceutical compositions containing them are also disclosed and claimed.