This invention provides novel compounds, and pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives thereof, that are useful as caspase inhibitors. These compounds have the general formula I: where R1, R2, and R3 are as described herein, Ring A contains zero to two double bonds, each X is independently selected from nitrogen or carbon, at least one X in Ring A is a nitrogen, Ring A is optionally substituted as described, and may be fused to a saturated or unsaturated five to seven membered ring containing zero to three heteroatoms, and provided that when X3 is a carbon, a substituent on X3 is attached by an atom other than nitrogen.