Chemical compounds

1. A compound of formula (I)

or a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or said tautomer, wherein:

one of X and Y is C and the other is N;

R 1 is selected from

H, F, CI and CF 3 ;

one of R 2 and R 3 is selected from

(C 3 -C 6 )alkyl,

(C 3 -C 6 )cycloalkyl,

adamantyl, and

phenyl substituted with —CN, and optionally further substituted with one or two groups independently selected from —F, —CI, —CF 3 and —CN;

and the other one of R 2 and R 3 is selected from

H and F;

R 4 is selected from

H, F, CI and CF 3

R 5 is selected from

(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl,

(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl substituted with a group selected from

—CON H 2 ,

—CONH—(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl,

—CON((C 1 -C 3 )alkyl) 2 wherein the (C 1 -C 3 )alkyl groups may be the same or different,

—OH,

—O(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, and

—OCONH 2 ,

(C 3 -C 6 )cycloalkyl, and

phenyl,

R 6 is selected from

H and (C 1 -C 3 )alkyl,

or R 5 and R 6 together with the carbon atom to which they are attached may form a 3- to 6-membered cycloalkyl moiety which may optionally be benzo-fused;

R 7 is H or methyl,

or, when R 5 and R 6 do not form a cycloalkyl or benzo-fused cycloalkyl moiety, R 5 and R 7 together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are attached may form 4- to 6-membered monocyclic or 6- to 8-membered bicyclic saturated nitrogen heterocycle which may optionally be substituted with 1 or 2 groups selected from —(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, —OH, and —F.

2. The compound according to claim 1 of formula (I B )

or a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or tautomer, wherein

R 1 is selected from H, F and Cl;

R 2 is selected from

(C 3 -C 6 )alkyl,

(C 3 -C 6 )cycloalkyl,

adamantyl, and

phenyl substituted with —CN, and optionally further substituted with one or two groups independently selected from —F, —Cl, —CF 3 and —CN; and

R 3 is selected from

H and F; and

R 4 is selected from H and CF 3 ; and

R 5 is selected from

(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl,

(C 1 -C 6 )alkyl substituted with a group selected from

—CON H 2 ,

—CONH-(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl,

—CON((C 1 -C 3 )alkyl) 2 wherein the (C 1 -C 3 )alkyl groups may be the same or different,

—OH,

—O(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, and

—OCONH 2 ,

(C 3 -C 6 )cycloalkyl, and

phenyl,

R 6 is selected from

H and (C 1 -C 3 )alkyl,

or R 5 and R 6 together with the carbon atom to which they are attached may form a 3- to 6-membered cycloalkyl moiety which may optionally be benzo-fused;

R 7 is H or methyl,

or, when R 5 and R 6 do not form a cycloalkyl or benzo-fused cycloalkyl moiety, R 5 and R 7 together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are attached may form 4- to 6-membered monocyclic or 6- to 8-membered bicyclic saturated nitrogen heterocycle which may optionally be substituted with 1 or 2 groups selected from —(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, —OH, and —F.

3. The compound according to claim 2 or a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or tautomer, wherein R 3 is H.

4. The compound according to claim 3 or a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or tautomer, wherein R 2 is selected from 1,1-dimethylethyl and 1,1-dimethylpropyl.

5. The compound according to claim 1 or a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or tautomer, wherein R 1 and R 4 are both H.

6. The compound according to claim 1 of formula (I E )

or a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or tautomer, wherein:

one of X and Y is C and the other is N;

R 1 is selected from H, F CI and CF 3 ;

one of R 2 and R 3 is selected from

(C 3 -C 6 )alkyl,

(C 3 -C 6 )cycloalkyl,

adamantyl, and

phenyl substituted with —CN, and optionally further substituted with one or two groups independently selected from —F, —CI, —CF 3 and —CN; and

the other one of R 2 and R 3 is selected from

H and F;

R 4 is selected from H, F, CI and CF3; and;

R 12 and R 13 are each independently —H or methyl; and

R 14 is selected from —OH, —O(C 1 - C 3 )alkyl, —OCONH 2 and —CONH 2 .

7. The compound according to claim 1 selected from:

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1 -amino-2-methoxypropyl]-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl}-2-fluorobenzonitrile,

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1 -amino-2-methoxypropyl]-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl}benzonitrile,

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1-amino-2-methoxypropyl]-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl}-3-fluorobenzonitrile,

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1-amino-2-hydroxypropyl]-1H-benzimidazol-6-yl}-2-fluorobenzonitrile,

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1-amino-2-hydroxypropyl]-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl}benzonitrile,

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1-amino-2-methoxypropyI]-4-chloro-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl}benzonitrile,

(2R,3S)-3-amino-3-[5-(4-cyano-3-fluorophenyl)-1 H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-2-methylpropanamide,

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1-amino-2-methoxypropyl]-4-chloro-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl}-2-fluorobenzonitrile,

4-{2-[(1R,2R)-1-amino-2-methoxypropyl]-1H-benzimidazol-6-yl}-3-chlorobenzonitrile,

(1R,2R)-1-(5-tert-butyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-2-methoxypropan-1-amine,

(2R,3S)-3-amino-3-(5-tert-butyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-2-methylpropanamide, and

(1R,2S)-1-amino-1-(5-tert-butyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)propan-2-yl carbamate;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

8. A method of treating pain comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 , or a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or tautomer, to an individual in need of such treatment.