Organic compounds as agents for the treatment of aldosterone mediated conditions

A compound of the formula

• wherein
• X is oxygen or H2;
• R1a is a monocyclic or bicyclic aryl or, monocyclic heteroaryl;
• R1b is hydrogen, alkyl, or aralkyl;
• R2 is R6—(CHR7)p— in which
• R6 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or monocyclic heterocyclyl;
• R7 is hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, monocyclic heteroaryl or aralkyl;
• p is zero or an integer from 1 to 4;
• R3 and R4 are independently hydrogen;
• or
• R5 is hydrogen;
• in which each alkyl is optionally substituted with halo, hydroxy, cycloalkyl, alkanoyl, alkoxy, alkyloxyalkoxy, alkanoyloxy, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, acylamino, carbamoyl, thiol, alkylthio, alkylthiono, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, sulfamoyl, nitro, cyano, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, araloxy, guanidino and monocyclic heterocyclyl;
• and
• each aryl is optionally substituted with alkyl, trifluoromethyl, cycloalkyl, halo, hydroxy, alkoxy, acyl, alkanoyloxy, aryloxy, amino, thiol, alkylthio, arylthio, nitro, cyano, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, alkylthiono, sulfonyl, sulfonamido and monocyclic heterocyclyl;
• and
• each cycloalkyl is optionally substituted with alkyl, halo, oxo, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkanoyl, acylamino, carbamoyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino, thiol, alkylthio, nitro, cyano, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, sulfonyl, sulfonamido, sulfamoyl and monocyclic heterocyclyl;
• and
• each heterocyclyl and heteroaryl are independently optionally substituted with alkyl, hydroxy, halo, oxo, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkoxy, cycloalkyl, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, mercapto, cyano, nitro, sulfamoyl, sulfonamido, aryl, alkanoyloxy, aroyloxy, arylthio, aryloxy, alkylthio, formyl, carbamoyl, aryl and arylalkyl;
• and
• each heteroaryl is selected from 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, 2-furyl or 3-furyl;
• and
• each heterocyclyl is selected from morpholinyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, piperidinyl, 2-furyl, 3-furyl, 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl or 4-pyridyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• or a diastereomer thereof;
• or a mixture of diastereomers thereof;
• or an optical isomer thereof;
• or a mixture of optical isomers thereof.