Indole- and benzimidazole-substituted imidazole derivatives

A compound of the formula ##STR40## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof;

• where X is --N-- or ##STR41## the broken line adjacent to the X atom represents the optional presence of a double bond, provided that if X is nitrogen, the double bond must be present;
• R.sub.1 is hydrogen, halogen, --CF.sub.3 or --CF.sub.2 CF.sub.3 ;
• R.sub.2 is hydrogen or R.sub.7 ;
• R.sub.3 is hydroxy or R.sub.8 ;
• R.sub.4 is alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl or an alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group substituted with one or more F or --CO.sub.2 R.sub.9 groups;
• cycloalkyl;
• (cycloalkyl)alkyl of 4 to 10 carbon atoms;
• (cycloalkyl)alkenyl or (cycloalkyl)alkynyl of 5 to 10 carbon atoms;
• --NR.sub.12 R.sub.13 ;
• --(CH.sub.2).sub.n Z(CH.sub.2).sub.p R.sub.15 ;
• benzyl or benzyl substituted with 1 or 2 halogens, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, haloalkyl or nitro;
• --SR.sub.16 or --OR.sub.16 ;
• R.sub.5 and R.sub.5 ' are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, arylalkyl, ##STR42## R.sub.6 is an acid moiety such as hydrogen, ##STR43## R.sub.7 is alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, arylalkyl, alkylaryl or phenyl;
• R.sub.8 is alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alkylaryl, cycloalkyl of 3 to 6 carbon atoms or OR.sub.7 ;
• R.sub.9 is hydrogen, alkyl, perfluoroalkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl, benzyl, ##STR44## R.sub.10 is hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl or cycloalkyl;
• R.sub.11 is alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl or cycloalkyl;
• R.sub.12 and R.sub.13 are independently hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, benzyl, .alpha.-methylbenzyl, or taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a ring of the formula ##STR45## R.sub.14 is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, phenyl or benzyl;
• R.sub.15 is hydrogen;
• alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• cycloalkyl;
• alkenyl or alkynyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• or the above alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group optionally substituted with F or --CO.sub.2 R.sub.9 ;
• R.sub.16 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, arylalkyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, heterocyclo, (heterocyclo)alkyl or haloalkyl;
• R.sub.17 is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or phenyl;
• R.sub.18 is --CN, --NO.sub.2 or --CO.sub.2 R.sub.9 ;
• Q is --CH.sub.2, --O--, or --NR.sub.10 ;
• Z is --O--, --S-- or --NR.sub.14 ;
• m is 0, or the integer 1;
• n is an integer of 1 to 5;
• and
• p is an integer of 1 to 5.