Aryl pyridine as aldosterone synthase inhibitors

1. A Compound of Formula (I′):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein

A is —CH 2 —, —CHR 5 —, —CR 5 R 6 — or —CR 5a R 6a —CR 5b R 6b —;

Ring C is a phenyl;

R 1 is C 1-7 alkyl, haloalkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, C 6-10 aryl, C 6-10 aryl-C 1-7 alkyl, C 6-10 aryloxy-C 1-7 alkyl, heteroaryl or heterocyclyl in which alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl are optionally substituted with 1 to 5 R 7 ;

R 2 is H, C 1-7 alkyl, halo-C 1-7 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl-C 1-7 alkyl, hydroxy-C 1-7 alkyl, C 1-7 alkyl-OC(O)C 1-7 alkyl, C 1-7 alkoxy-C 1-7 alkyl, heteroaryl, heterocycyl, or C 6-10 aryl; wherein aryl and heteroaryl are optionally substituted with hydroxy, C 1-7 alkoxy, C 1-7 alkyl, halo-C 1-7 alkyl, halo, CN or C 3-7 cycloalkyl;

R 3 is H, halo, C 1-7 alkyl, halo-C 1-7 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, cyano, C 1-7 alkoxy, hydroxy, nitro, —NH 2 , —NH(C 1-7 alkyl) or —N(C 1-7 alkyl) 2 ;

two adjacent R 4 groups form, with the atoms to which they are attached, a phenyl or a 5- or 6-membered ring heteroaryl, in which said phenyl or heteroaryl ring is optionally substituted with 1 to 4 R 8 ; and

each optional additional R 4 is independently selected from the group consisting of halo, C 1-7 alkyl, halo-C 1-7 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, cyano, —NH 2 , —NH(C 1-7 alkyl), —N(C 1-7 alkyl) 2 , C 1-7 alkoxy, halo-C 1-7 alkoxy, hydroxy, carboxy, nitro, sulfonyl, sulfamoyl, sulfonamido, C 6-10 aryl, heterocyclyl, C 6-10 aryloxy, heterocyclyloxy, —SH, —C(O)O—C 6-10 aryl, —C(O)O-heterocyclyl, —C(O)O-heteroaryl, —C(O)NR 2 — C 1-7 alkyl, —C(O)NR 2 —C 6-10 aryl, —C(O)NR 2 -heteroaryl, —C(O)NR 2 -heterocyclyl, —NR 2 C(O)—C 1-7 alkyl, —NR 2 C(O)—C 6-10 aryl, —NR 2 C(O)-heteroaryl, —NR 2 C(O)-heterocyclyl, —OC(O)—C 1-7 alkyl, —OC(O)—C 6-10 aryl, —OC(O)-heteroaryl and —OC(O)-heterocyclyl; wherein R 4 is optionally substituted with 1 to 5 R 7 ;

R 5 and R 6 are independently C 1-7 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, halo-C 1-7 alkyl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl or C 6-10 aryl; or R 5 and R 6 form together with the atom to which they are attached a C 3-7 cycloalkyl;

R 5a , R 6a , R 5b and R 6b are independently H, C 1-7 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, halo-C 1-7 alkyl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl or C 6-10 aryl; or any two of R 5a , R 6a , R 5b and R 6b form together with the atom(s) to which they are attached a C 3-7 cycloalkyl;

each R 7 is independently selected from the group consisting of halo, C 1-7 alkyl, C 3-7 cycloalkyl, C 1-7 alkoxy, C 6-10 aryloxy, heterocyclyl, C 6-10 aryl, heteroaryl, CN and halo-C 1-7 alkyl;

each R 8 is independently selected from the group consisting of halo, C 1-7 alkyl, halo-C 1-7 alkyl, C 1-7 alkoxy, CN and halo-C 1-7 alkoxy; or

R 2 and R 3 ; R 1 and R 2 ; R 1 and R 5 ; R 1 and R 5a ; R 1 and R 5b ; R 2 and R 5a ; R 2 and R 5b ; R 1 and R 3 ;

or R 2 and R 5 can form with the atoms to which they are attached a 4- to 7-membered heterocyclyl; or

R 3 and R 5 ; R 3 and R 5b ; or R 3 and R 5a can form together with the atoms to which they are attached a C 5-7 cycloalkyl; and

wherein each heteroaryl is a monocyclic aromatic ring comprising 5 or 6 ring atoms selected from carbon atoms and 1 to 5 heteroatoms, and

each heterocyclyl is a monocyclic saturated or partially saturated but non-aromatic moiety comprising 4-7 ring atoms selected from carbon atoms and 1 to 3 heteroatoms; and

each heteroatoms being O, N or S;

p is 2, 3, 4 or 5, with the proviso that

the compound of Formula I′ is not 2-methyl-N-(6-(5-(phenylsulfonamido)pyridin-3-yl)-1H-indazol-4-yl)thiazole-4-carboxamide.

2. The compound of claim 1 having Formula (III):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein C, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and p are as defined in claim 1 .

3. The compound of claim 1 having Formula (V):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein C, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5a , R 6a , R 5b , R 6b and p are as defined in claim 1 .

4. The compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Ring C together with 2 R 4 groups, is

wherein R 8a is R 8 or H.

5. The compound according to claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein A is CHR 5 .

6. The compound of claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically salt thereof wherein R 1 is C 1-4 alkyl, R 2 is H, R 3 is H, A is CHR 5 , R 5 is C 1-4 alkyl or C 3-6 cycloalkyl, p is 1 or 2.

7. The compound of claim 1 selected from the group consisting of:

N-((5-(6-cyanonaphthalen-2-yl)pyridin-3-yl)(cyclopropyl)methyl)ethane-sulfonamide;

N-(cyclopropyl(5-(quinolin-6-yl)pyridin-3-yl)methyl)ethanesulfonamide;

N-((5-(benzo[d]thiazol-5-yl)pyridin-3-yl)(cyclopropyl)methyl)ethanesulfonamide; and

N-((5-(benzofuran-5-yl)pyridin-3-yl)(cyclopropyl)methyl)ethanesulfonamide; or a

pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

8. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the compound according to claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers.

9. A pharmaceutical combination, comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the compound according to claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and one or more therapeutically active agents selected from the group consisting of an HMG-Co-A reductase inhibitor, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor, a calcium channel blocker (CCB), a dual angiotensin converting enzyme/neutral endopeptidase (ACE/NEP) inhibitor, an endothelin antagonist, a renin inhibitor, a diuretic, an ApoA-I mimic, an anti-diabetic agent, an obesity-reducing agent, an aldosterone receptor blocker, an endothelin receptor blocker, and a CETP inhibitor.

10. A method of inhibiting aldosterone synthase activity in a subject in need thereof, comprising: administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the compound according to claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

11. A method of treating a disorder or a disease in a subject mediated by aldosterone synthase, comprising:

Administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the compound according to claim 1 , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the disorder or the disease is selected from the group consisting of hypokalemia, hypertension, Conn's disease, renal failure, chronic renal failure, restenosis, atherosclerosis, syndrome X, obesity, nephropathy, post-myocardial infarction, coronary heart diseases, increased formation of collagen, fibrosis and remodeling following hypertension and endothelial dysfunction, cardiovascular diseases, renal dysfunction, liver diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, vascular diseases, retinopathy, neuropathy, insulinopathy, edema, endothelial dysfunction, baroreceptor dysfunction, migraine headaches, heart failure, arrhythmia, diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, diastolic heart failure, impaired diastolic filling, systolic dysfunction, ischemia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, sudden cardiac death, myocardial and vascular fibrosis, impaired arterial compliance, myocardial necrotic lesions, vascular damage, myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, decreased ejection fraction, cardiac lesions, vascular wall hypertrophy, endothelial thickening, and fibrinoid necrosis of coronary arteries.