A series of bicyclic heteroaryl ring systems was considered as a replacement for the 3 -cyclopentyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl moiety in rolipram resulting in the discovery of 8-methoxyquinoline-5-carboxamides as potent inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.