US Patent 8980905 Benzodioxole or benzodioxepine heterocyclic compounds as phosphodiesterase inhibitors

Compounds of the general formula (I) wherein each of m and n is independently 0 or 1; R1 and R2, together with the carbon atom to which they are attached, form a heterocyclic ring comprising one or two heteroatoms selected from oxygen, sulfur, —S(O)— and —S(O)2—; R3 is —CHF2, —CF3, —OCHF2, —OCF3, —SCHF2 or —SCF3; X is a bond, —CH2—, or —NH—; A is aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, heterocycloalkyl or heterocycloalkenyl, optionally substituted with one or more, same or different substituents selected from R4; and R4 is hydrogen, amino, thioxo, alkyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, halogen, oxo, thia, or hydroxy; or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates or solvates thereof, have been found to exhibit PDE4 inhibiting activity, and may therefore be useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and disorders.