Substituted benzimidazole compounds

1. A compound of the formula (I):

wherein:

R 1 is hydrogen or alkyl;

R 2 is chosen from aryl and heteroaryl, each R 2 is optionally substituted with one or more R a ;

R 3 is C 1-10 alkyl chain branched or unbranched optionally substituted with one or more R b ,

or R 3 is the group:

—(CH 2 ) n -L-R 6 , wherein L is chosen from a bond, —NH—C(O)—, —O—C(O)—, —C(O)— and —S(O) m — wherein m is 0, 1 or 2, and wherein said group is optionally substituted by one or more R b ;

wherein R 6 is independently chosen from hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, arylC 0-5 alkyl, aryloxyC 0-5 alkyl, heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl, cycloalkylC 0-5 alkyl, heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl and amino said amino is optionally mono-or di-substituted by acyl, alkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, cycloalkylC 0-5 alkyl, arylC 0-5 alkyl, heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl or heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl;

n is 1–10;

R 4 is

wherein R 4 is covalently attached at the indicated 5- or 6-position of the formula (I), t is 0,

R 5 is chosen from arylC 0-5 alkyl, alkyl, heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl, cycloalkylC 0-5 alkyl and heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl, each R 5 is optionally substituted with one or more R c ;

R 7 is hydrogen, alkenyl or alkyl;

or R 5 and R 7 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form:

a 4–7-membered monocyclic ring or

an 8–14-membered bicyclic ring,

wherein each monocyclic or bicyclic ring optionally contains an additional 1 to 3 heteroatoms chosen from N, O and S and each ring is aromatic or nonaromatic, and wherein each monocyclic or bicyclic ring is optionally substituted by one or more R c ;

each R a , R b or R c are independently chosen from hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, acyloxy, acylamino, sulphonylamino, aminosulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, carboxy, carboxamide, oxo, hydroxy, halogen, trifluoromethyl, nitrile and amino optionally mono-or -di-substituted by alkyl, acyl or alkoxycarbonyl, wherein any of the above R a , R b or R c are optionally halogenated where possible;

R d , covalently attached at the indicated 4-, 5-, 6- or 7-position of the formula (I), is chosen from hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy and halogen and

X a and X b are oxygen or sulfur;

or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, acids, isomers or tautomers thereof.

2. The compound according to claim 1 wherein:

R 1 is hydrogen;

R 2 is chosen from phenyl, naphthyl, and heteroaryl chosen from thienyl, furanyl, isoxazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, tetrazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrrolyl, imidazolyl, pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl, pyranyl, quinoxalinyl, indolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, benzothiazolyl, benzothienyl, quinolinyl, quinazolinyl and indazolyl, each R 2 is optionally substituted with one or more R a ;

R 3 is C 1-10 alkyl chain branched or unbranched optionally substituted with one or more R b ,

or R 3 is:

—(CH 2 ) n -L-R 6 , wherein L is chosen from a bond, —O—C(O)—, —C(O)— and —S(O) m — wherein m is 0, 1 or 2, and wherein said group is optionally substituted by one or more R b ;

wherein R 6 is independently chosen from hydrogen, hydroxy, C 1-5 alkyl, C 1-5 alkoxy, C 1-5 alkylthio, phenyl, naphthyl, benzyl, phenethyl, heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkylC 0-5 alkyl, heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl and amino said amino is optionally mono-or di-substituted by C 1-5 acyl, C 1-5 alkyl, C 1-5 alkoxycarbonyl, arylC 0-5 alkyl, heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl or heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl; and wherein each recited heteroaryl in this paragraph is chosen from thienyl, furanyl, isoxazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, tetrazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrrolyl, imidazolyl, pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl and pyranyl and wherein each recited heterocyclyl in this paragraph is chosen from pyrrolidinyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl, dioxalanyl, piperidinyl and piperazinyl;

R 5 is chosen from phenyl, naphthyl, benzyl, phenethyl, C 1-5 alkyl and heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl wherein the heteroaryl is chosen from thienyl, furanyl, isoxazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, tetrazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrrolyl, imidazolyl, pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl and pyranyl, C 3-7 cycloalkylC 0-5 alkyl and heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl, wherein the heterocyclyl is chosen from aziridinyl, pyrrolidinyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, dioxalanyl, piperidinyl and piperazinyl, each R 5 is optionally substituted with one or more R c ;

each R a , R b or R c are independently chosen from hydrogen, C 1-5 alkyl, C 2-5 alkenyl, C 2-5 alkynyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, phenoxy, C 1-5 alkoxy, C 1-5 alkylthio, C 1-5 acyl, C 1-5 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1-5 acyloxy, C 1-5 acylamino, C 1-5 sulphonylamino, aminosulfonyl, C 1-5 alkylsulfonyl, carboxy, carboxamide, oxo, hydroxy, halogen, trifluoromethyl, nitrile and amino optionally mono-or -di-substituted by C 1-5 alkyl, C 1-5 acyl or C 1-5 alkoxycarbonyl, wherein any of the above R a , R b or R c are optionally halogenated where possible;

R d is chosen from hydrogen, C 1-3 alkyl, C 1-3 alkoxy and halogen;

R 7 is hydrogen, C 3-10 alkenyl or C 1-5 alkyl; and

X a is oxygen.

3. The compound according to claim 2 wherein:

R 2 is chosen from phenyl, naphthyl and heteroaryl chosen from thienyl, furanyl, isoxazolyl, oxazolyl, imidazolyl, thiadiazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyridinyl, quinoxalinyl and benzothienyl, each R 2 is optionally substituted with one or more R a ;

R 6 is independently chosen from hydroxy, C 1-5 alkyl, C 1-5 alkoxy, phenyl, benzyl, phenethyl, heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl, heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl and amino said amino is optionally mono-or di-substituted by C 1-5 acyl, C 1-5 alkyl, C 1-5 alkoxycarbonyl, arylC 0-5 alkyl or heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl;

and wherein each recited heteroaryl in this paragraph is chosen from thienyl, furanyl, isoxazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, tetrazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrrolyl and imidazolyl, each optionally substituted by R b ;

n is 1–6;

R 5 is chosen from phenyl, naphthyl, benzyl, phenethyl, C 1-5 alkyl and heteroarylC 0-5 alkyl wherein the heteroaryl in this paragraph is chosen from thienyl, furanyl, imidazolyl and pyridinyl, C 3-7 cycloalkylC 0-5 alkyl and heterocyclylC 0-5 alkyl, wherein the heterocyclyl is chosen from aziridinyl, pyrrolidinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydropyridinyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl, piperidinyl and piperazinyl, each R 5 is optionally substituted with one or more R c ;

R 7 is hydrogen, propenyl or C 1-3 alkyl and

R d is chosen from hydrogen and C 1-3 alkyl.

4. The compound according to claim 3 wherein:

R 2 is chosen from phenyl and heteroaryl chosen from thienyl, furanyl, isoxazolyl, thiadiazolyl, pyrazolyl and pyridinyl, each R 2 is optionally substituted with one or more R a ;

R 3 is:

—(CH 2 ) n —C(O)—R 6 or

—(CH 2 ) n —R 6 ;

wherein R 6 is independently chosen from hydroxy, C 1-5 alkyl, C 1-5 alkoxy, phenyl, morpholinylC 0-5 alkyl, piperazinylC 0-5 alkyl, imidazolylC 0-5 alkyl, pyrrolidinylC 0-5 alkyl, pyrrolidinonylC 0-5 alkyl, thienylC 0-5 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl and amino said amino is optionally mono-or di-substituted by C 1-5 alkyl or C 1-5 alkoxycarbonyl;

R 5 is chosen from phenyl, furanyl, benzyl, phenethyl, C 1-3 alkyl and C 3-7 cycloalkylC 0-5 alkyl, each optionally substituted with one or more R c ;

each R a , R b or R c are independently chosen from C 1-5 alkyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl, phenyl, C 1-5 alkoxy, amino optionally mono-or -di-substituted by C 1-5 alkyl, C 1-5 alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamide, hydroxy, halogen, trifluoromethyl, and nitrile, wherein any of the above R a , R b or R c are optionally halogenated where possible;

R 7 is C 1-3 alkyl; and

R d is chosen from hydrogen and methyl.

5. The compound according to claim 4 wherein:

R 2 is chosen from phenyl, thienyl, furanyl, isoxazolyl and pyridinyl, each optionally substituted with one or more R a ;

R 5 is chosen from methyl, CF 3 , cyclopentyl, phenyl and cyclohexyl, each optionally substituted with one or more R c ;

R d is hydrogen and

n is 2–5.

6. The compound according to claim 5 wherein:

R 2 is chosen from phenyl, thien-2-yl, isoxazol-5-yl and pyridin-3-yl, each optionally substituted with one or more R a ;

R 6 is independently chosen from hydroxy, methyl, ethyl, C 1-3 alkoxy, phenyl, morpholinyl, piperazinyl, imidazolyl, pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolidinonyl, thienylC 0-5 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl and amino said amino is optionally mono-or di-substituted by C 1-5 alkyl or C 1-5 alkoxycarbonyl; and

each R a , R b or R c are independently chosen from C 1-3 alkoxy, amino optionally mono-or -di-substituted by C 1-3 alkyl, carboxamide, hydroxy, fluoro, chloro, bromo, trifluoromethyl, and nitrile.

7. The compound according to one of claims 2 – 6 wherein: R 4 is covalently attached at the indicated 5-position of the formula (I).

8. The compound according to one of claims 2 – 6 wherein: R 4 is covalently attached at the indicated 6-position of the formula (I).

9. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or adjuvants.

10. A compound chosen from:

or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

11. A compound chosen from:

or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.