5-pyrrolyl-2-pyridylmethylsulfinyl benzimidazole derivatives

A compound having the following formula (I), ##STR19## or a salt thereof, in which X represents S, SO or SO.sub.2,

• R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently from each other represent hydrogen or alkyl,
• R.sub.3 represents hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, --SR.sub.6, --N(R.sub.7).sub.2, 1-piperidinyl, 4-morpholinyl, 4-methylpiperazin-1-yl, 1-pyrrolidinyl, --OR.sub.6, or --O(CH.sub.2).sub.m --Z, wherein
• R.sub.6 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkenyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 fluoroalkyl, or phenyl or benzyl, each of which independently is substituted with one or more halogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or alkoxy optionally substituted with halogen,
• R.sub.7 represents hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl,
• Z represents a group --O(CH.sub.2).sub.p --OR.sub.8, --O(CH.sub.2).sub.q --R.sub.9 or --O(CH.sub.2).sub.r O(CH.sub.2).sub.s --OR.sub.10, wherein
• p and q independently from each other denote an integer of 1 to 3,
• r and s independently from each other denote an integer of 1 to 5,
• R.sub.8 represents hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl or aralkyl,
• R.sub.9 represents hydrogen alkoxycarbonyl, or aryl, and
• R10 represents hydrogen or lower alkyl,
• m represents an integer of 2 to 10, and
• R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 independently from each other represent hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl.