A compound of formula: wherein L and M are both CR 13; R 2 is -C(=O)-NR 3 R 4; R 3 is selected from -CHR 8 R 11, -C 2-6 alkyl-R 10, -C 2-6 alkenyl-R 10, and -C 2-6 alkynyl-R 10; R 4 is selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl; or R 3 and R 4 taken together form a heterocyclyl or heteroaryl ring; R 8 is selected from -CO 2 H, -CONH 2, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, -C 1-6 alkylR 10, -C 2-6 alkenylR 10 and -C 2-6 alkynylR 10; R 10 is selected from cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl and heteroaryl; R 11 is selected from -C 1-6 alkyl, -C 1-6 haloalkyl, -C 2-6 alkenyl, -C 2-6 alkynyl, -C 0-6 alkylOH, -C 0-6 alkylCO 2 H, -C 0-6 alkylCONH 2, -C 0-6 alkylNH 2, -C 0-6 alkylSH, -C 0-6 alkylSC 1-6 alkyl, -C 0-6 alkylNHC(=NH)NH 2, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkyl, -C 0-6 alkylaryl, -C 0-6 alkylheterocyclyl and -C 0-6 alkylheteroaryl; R 12 and R 13 are independently selected from hydrogen, cyano, nitro, halo, -C 1-6 alkyl, -C 2-6 alkenyl, -C 2-6 alkynyl, -C 0-6 alkylaryl, -C 0-6 alkylheteroaryl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkyl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkenyl, -C 0-6 alkylheterocyclyl, -O-R 14, -C(=O)-R 14, -C(=O)-O-R 14, -O-C(=O)-R 14, -S t -R 14, -N(R 14) 2, and -C(=O)-N(R 14) 2, wherein each R 14 is independently selected from H, -C 1-6 alkyl, -C 2-6 alkenyl, -C 2-6 alkynyl, -C 0-6 alkylaryl, -C 0-6 alkylheteroaryl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkyl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkenyl or -C 0-6 alkylheterocyclyl; and t is 0-2; wherein each alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl and heteroaryl is optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from R 15, R 15 -O-(CH 2) q -, R 15 -S-(CH 2) q -, hydroxyl(CH 2) q -, HS-(CH 2) q -, R 15 -C(=O)-O-(CH 2) q -, R 15 -O-C(=O)-(CH 2) q -, R 15 -C(=O)-(CH 2) q -, (R 15) 2 N-C(=O)-(CH 2) q -, R 15 S j -(CH 2) q -, (R 15) 2 N-(CH 2) q -, cyano, nitro and halo, wherein each R 15 is independently selected from H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, -(CH 2) i -aryl, -(CH 2) i -heteroaryl, -(CH 2) i -cycloalkyl, -(CH 2) i -cycloalkenyl or -(CH 2) i -heterocyclyl; q and i are 0 or an integer from 1 to 6, and j is 0 or an integer of 1 or 2; and wherein the alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl and heterocyclyl groups within the optional substituents may be further optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from cyano, hydroxyl, nitro, halo, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or alkoxyl groups; or a salt thereof; with the provisos that when: (i) R 3 and R 4 taken together form 4-(2-pyrimidinyl)-1-piperazinyl and L is CH, then R 13 is not hydrogen when R 12 is methyl, and R 12 is not hydrogen when R 13 is methyl; (ii) R 12 is hydrogen, L is CH and M is CH, then R 3 and R 4 taken together do not form 5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepin-10 -yl, 2-(1-pyrrolidinylmethyl)-1-pyrrolidinyl or 2-methyl-1-pyrrolidinyl; and (iii) R 3 is 4-[4-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-methoxy-2-naphthalenyl)-1-piperidinyl]butyl, R 4 is hydrogen, and L and M are CH, then R 12 is not cyano or chloro. L and M are both CR 13; R 2 is -C(=O)-NR 3 R 4; R 3 is selected from -CHR 8 R 11, -C 2-6 alkyl-R 10, -C 2-6 alkenyl-R 10, and -C 2-6 alkynyl-R 10; R 4 is selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkenyl, and alkynyl; or R 3 and R 4 taken together form a heterocyclyl or heteroaryl ring; R 8 is selected from -CO 2 H, -CONH 2, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, -C 1-6 alkylR 10, -C 2-6 alkenylR 10 and -C 2-6 alkynylR 10; R 10 is selected from cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl and heteroaryl; R 11 is selected from -C 1-6 alkyl, -C 1-6 haloalkyl, -C 2-6 alkenyl, -C 2-6 alkynyl, -C 0-6 alkylOH, -C 0-6 alkylCO 2 H, -C 0-6 alkylCONH 2, -C 0-6 alkylNH 2, -C 0-6 alkylSH, -C 0-6 alkylSC 1-6 alkyl, -C 0-6 alkylNHC(=NH)NH 2, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkyl, -C 0-6 alkylaryl, -C 0-6 alkylheterocyclyl and -C 0-6 alkylheteroaryl; R 12 and R 13 are independently selected from hydrogen, cyano, nitro, halo, -C 1-6 alkyl, -C 2-6 alkenyl, -C 2-6 alkynyl, -C 0-6 alkylaryl, -C 0-6 alkylheteroaryl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkyl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkenyl, -C 0-6 alkylheterocyclyl, -O-R 14, -C(=O)-R 14, -C(=O)-O-R 14, -O-C(=O)-R 14, -S t -R 14, -N(R 14) 2, and -C(=O)-N(R 14) 2, wherein each R 14 is independently selected from H, -C 1-6 alkyl, -C 2-6 alkenyl, -C 2-6 alkynyl, -C 0-6 alkylaryl, -C 0-6 alkylheteroaryl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkyl, -C 0-6 alkylcycloalkenyl or -C 0-6 alkylheterocyclyl; and t is 0-2; (i) R 3 and R 4 taken together form 4-(2-pyrimidinyl)-1-piperazinyl and L is CH, then R 13 is not hydrogen when R 12 is methyl, and R 12 is not hydrogen when R 13 is methyl; (ii) R 12 is hydrogen, L is CH and M is CH, then R 3 and R 4 taken together do not form 5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepin-10 -yl, 2-(1-pyrrolidinylmethyl)-1-pyrrolidinyl or 2-methyl-1-pyrrolidinyl; and (iii) R 3 is 4-[4-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1-methoxy-2-naphthalenyl)-1-piperidinyl]butyl, R 4 is hydrogen, and L and M are CH, then R 12 is not cyano or chloro.