Benzimidazole-carboxamide compounds as 5-ht4 receptor agonists

A method of treating a disorder of reduced motility of the gastrointestinal tract in a mammal, the method comprising administering to the mammal, a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier and a compound of formula (I):

• wherein:
• R1 is C3-5alkyl, optionally substituted with —OH;
• and
• X is selected from
• (a) —C(O)OR2 wherein R2 is C1-4alkyl or —(CH2)n-phenyl wherein n is 0 or 1;
• (b) —C(O)R3 wherein R3 is selected from:
• phenyl, optionally substituted with 1, 2, or 3 substituents selected from C1-4alkyl, halo, C1-4alkoxy, —CF3, —OCF3, —OCHF2, and —CN,
• C1-5alkyl,
• C4-5cycloalkyl, and
• —(CH2)m-A wherein m is 0 or 1 and A is selected from amino, furanyl, thiophenyl, morpholinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, pyridinyl, naphthalenyl, pyrrolyl, thiomorpholinyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, oxoazetidinyl, thiazolidinyl, 1,1-dioxo isothiazolidinyl, and 2,4-dimethylisoxazolyl;
• (c) —C(O)NR4R5 wherein R4 is hydrogen or C1-3alkyl, and R5 is phenyl optionally substituted with 1, 2, or 3 substituents selected from C1-4alkyl, halo, C1-4alkoxy, —CF3, —OCF3, and —OCHF2;
• (d) —C(O)C(R6R7)R8 wherein R6 is hydrogen or C1-3alkyl and R7 is hydrogen, —OH, or C1-3alkyl;
• or R6 and R7 taken together form oxo or —(CH2)2—;
• and R8 is phenyl or cyclohexyl, wherein phenyl or cyclohexyl are optionally substituted with 1, 2, or 3 substituents selected from C1-4alkyl, halo, C1-4alkoxy, —CF3, —OCF3, —OCHF2, and —CN;
• (e) —C(O)C(HR9)OR10 wherein R9 is hydrogen or C1-3alkyl, and R10 is phenyl optionally substituted with 1, 2, or 3 substituents selected from C1-4alkyl, halo, C1-4alkoxy, —CF3, —OCF3, and —OCHF2;
• and
• (f) —S(O)2R11 wherein R11 is selected from C1-3alkyl, —CH2-phenyl, furanyl, thiophenyl, morpholinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, pyridinyl, naphthalenyl, pyrrolyl, thiomorpholinyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, oxoazetidinyl, thiazolidinyl, 1,1-dioxo isothiazolidinyl, 2,4-dimethylisoxazolyl, and phenyl optionally substituted with 1, 2, or 3 substituents selected from C1-4alkyl, halo, C1-4alkoxy, —CF3, —OCF3, —OCHF2, and —CN;
• or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof.