Abstract: An indene derivative for selectively modulating the activities of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) having the following formula (I): wherein, R1 is C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkenyl, or C3-6 cycloalkyl, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more phenyl groups; R2 is H, CN, CO2Ra, CH2CO2Ra, CONRbRc, or phenyl; R3 is C1-6 alkyl, C3-6 cycloalkyl, naphthyl, phenyl, being each unsubstituted or substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, CN, NH2, NO2, ORa, phenyloxy, C1-6 alkyl, and C3-6 cycloalkyl; and R4, R5, R6, and R7 are each independently H, OH, OSO2CH3, O(CH2)mRe, CH2Rf, OCOCH2ORg, OCH2CH2ORg, OCH2CH?CHRg, or pyridine-2-yloxy, or R5 and R6 together form OCH2O.

Abstract: The inventive indene derivatives of formula (I) are capable of selectively modulating the activities of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs), causing no adverse side effects, and thus, they are useful for the treatment and prevention of disorders modulated by PPARs, i.e., metabolic syndromes such as diabetes, obesity, arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinism and hypertension, inflammatory diseases such as osteoporosis, liver cirrhosis and asthma, and cancer.