The present invention is directed to compounds that modulate the bioactivity of an orexin receptor such as OX1 or OX2, or both； to pharmaceutical compositions and combinations comprising a compound of the invention； to methods of treatment of malconditions in patients wherein modulation of an orexin receptor is medically indicated； and to methods of preparation of compounds of the invention. For example, orexin receptor-modulatory compounds of the present invention can be used in treatment of an eating disorder, obesity, alcoholism or an alcohol-related disorder, drug abuse or addiction including addiction to cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, or nicotine, a sleep disorder, a cognitive dysfunction in a psychiatric or neurologic disorder, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, seasonal affective disorder, an eating disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s chorea, headache, migraine, pain, gastrointestinal diseases, epilepsy, inflammations, immune-related diseases, endocrine-related diseases, cancer, hypertension, behavior disorder, mood disorder, manic depression, dementia, sex disorder, psychosexual disorder, or renal disease.本發明係關於調節食慾素受體(例如OX1或OX2或二者)之生物活性之化合物；包含本發明化合物之醫藥組合物及組合；治療患者之其中在醫學上適合調節食慾素受體之不良狀況的方法；及製備本發明化合物之方法。舉例而言，本發明之食慾素受體調節性化合物可用於治療飲食障礙、肥胖症、酒精中毒或酒精相關病症、藥物濫用或成癮(包括對可卡因(cocaine)、鴉片劑、安非他命(amphetamine)或尼古丁(nicotine)成癮)、睡眠障礙、精神病或神經病症中之認知功能障礙、抑鬱症、焦慮、創傷後壓力症候群、季節性情感障礙、飲食障礙、恐慌症、精神分裂症、阿茲海默氏病(Alzheimer’s disease)、帕金森氏病(Parkinson’s disease)、亨汀頓氏舞蹈症(Huntington’s chorea)、頭痛、偏頭痛、疼痛、胃腸疾病、癲癇、發炎、免疫相關疾病、內分泌相關疾病、癌症、高血壓、行為障礙、情緒障礙、躁狂性抑鬱症、失智症、性病症、性心理障礙或腎病。
