Soluble guanylate cyclase activators

1. A compound of structural Formula I:

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein:

X is selected from the group consisting of CH, and CR 2 ;

R 1a and R 1b are independently selected from the group consisting of —H, —F, —Cl, —Br, —CN, cyclopropyl, —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F, and —O—C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F;

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of —F, —Cl, —Br, —CN, cyclopropyl, —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F, and —O—C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F;

R 3a and R 3b are independently selected from the group consisting of —H, —F, —Cl, —Br, —CN, —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F, and —O—C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F;

A is

wherein R 13 is selected from the group consisting of —H and —C 1-6 alkyl;

R 4 is

a heterocycle selected from the group consisting of:

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —F, —OH, —CF 3 , —OC 1-3 alkyl and —OCF 3 ;

j is an integer 1;

k is an integer 1;

R 7 is selected from the group consisting of (a) —H, (b) —C 1-6 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F, (c) —C 1-3 alkyl substituted with one or two of —OCH 3,

(d) —(CH 2 ) 0-1 —C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with (i) one to three of —F or (ii) C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to three of —F,

R 8 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —F, —OH, and —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F;

R 9 is selected from the group consisting of (a) —H, (b) —F, (c) —OH,

(d) —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of (i) —OH and (ii) one to six of —F,

(e) —C 3-b cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one to three of —F, and

(f) —O—C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with —OH;

R 10 is selected from the group consisting of (a) —H, (b) —F, (c) —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with with substituents selected from (i) —OH and (ii) one to six of —F, and

(d) —O—C 1-3 alkyl;

R 11 is selected from the group consisting of (a) —H, (b) —C 1-6 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F, (c) —C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with —CH 3 , —CF 3 , —CN, —OH, or —NH 2 or one to three of —F;

R 12a is selected from the group consisting of (a) —H, (b) —C 1-6 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F, (c) —C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with —CH 3, —CF 3 , —CN, —OH, or one to three of —F; and

R 12 is selected from the group consisting of (a) —C 1-6 alkyl optionally substituted with one to six of —F, and (b) —C 3-6 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one to three of —F.

2. The compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein:

X is selected form CH and N;

A is selected from

R 1a is selected from the group consisting of —H, —Cl, —F, —CH 3 and —CF 3;

R 1b is —H;

R 3a and R 3b are independently selected from the group consisting of —H, —Cl, —F, —CH 3 , —CF 3 , —OCH 3 , and —OCF 3;

R 4 is

a heterocycle selected from the group consisting of:

R 5 is —H;

R 6a and R 6b are each —H;

R 7 is selected from:

(i) —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to three of —F,

(ii) —(CH 2 ) 0-1 —C 3-4 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with —CF 3 or one to two of —F,

(iii) —C(═O)—C 3-4 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with —CH 3 , —CF 3 , —CN, —OH, or —NH 2 or one to three of —F,

(iv) —C(═O) OC 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to three of —F,

(v) —C(═O)—N(C 1-3 alkyl) 2 , and

(vi) —SO 2 —R 12 wherein R 12 is —C 1-3 alkyl or cyclopropyl and R 12 is optionally substituted with one to three of —F;

R 8 is selected from —H, —F and —OH;

R 9 is selected from (i) cyclopropyl optionally substituted with one or two of —F and (ii) —C 1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one to three of —F;

R 10 is H;

R 11 is selected from —C 1-3 alkyl and —C 3-6 cycloalkyl wherein R 11 is optionally substituted with —CH 3 , —CF 3 , —CN, —OH, or —NH 2 or one to three of —F;

R 12a is selected from the group consisting of —H and —C 1-3 alkyl;

R 12 is selected from —C 1-3 alkyl and cyclopropyl wherein R 12 is optionally substituted with one to three of —F; and

R 13 is —H.

3. The compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein:

A is R 4 is selected from the group consisting of:

and R 5 is —H.

4. The compound of claim 1 selected form the group goup consisting of:

1-{6-[4-chloro-4′-(4-cyclopropylpiperidin-1 -yl)biphenyl-2-yl]pyridin-2-yl}-5 -(trifluoromethyl)-1H -pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-{6-[4′-(4-cyclopropylpiperidin-1 -yl)-4-methylbiphenyl-2-yl]pyridin-2-yl}-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H -pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{4-chloro-4′-[1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)piperidin-4-yl]biphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(2′-{4-[1 -(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)piperidin-4-yl]phenyl}-5′-(trifluoromethyl)-2,3′-bipyridin-6-yl]-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{4-chloro-4′-[1-(methoxycarbonyl)piperidin-4-yl]biphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl) -1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{4-chloro-4′-[1-(ethoxycarbonyl)piperidin-4-yl]biphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl) -1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{4-chloro-4′-[1-(dimethylcarbamoyl)piperidin-4-yl]-3′-methylbiphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{4-fluoro-4′-[1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)piperidin-4-yl]biphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{3′4-difluoro-4′-[1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)piperidin-4-yl]biphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{4-fluoro-4′-[1-(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)piperidin-4-yl]biphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid;

1-(6-{4-fluoro-3′-methyl-4′-[1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)piperidin-4-yl]biphenyl-2-yl}pyridin-2-yl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid; and

1-(5 ′-chloro-2′-{3-methyl-4-[1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) piperidin-4-yl]phenyl}-2,3 ′-bipyridin-6-yl)-5 -(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid; and

the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

5. A pharmaceutical composition comprised of a compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.