Guanidine derivatives, processes for preparing them and their use as pharmaceutical compositions

A method for treatment of a human or animal subject comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of a compound having the formula:

• X—C(NH)NH2
• wherein X denotes —NH—NH—CH2R1 or —NH—N═CHR1 and R1 denotes C8 to C20-alkyl, either branched or unbranched, optionally in the form of the individual optical isomers, mixtures of the individual isomers or racemates, tautomers or the corresponding acid addition salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids;
• wherein said treatment is for an inflammatory disease, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, tumor therapy, or for inhibiting sphingomyelinase.