The present invention relates to ion channel activating agents. More particularly, the present invention relates to a particular class of chemical compounds that has proven useful as openers of SKCa and IKCa channels. In further aspects, the present invention relates to the use of these SK/IK channel activating agents for the manufacture of medicaments and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the SK/IK channel activating agents. The SK/IK channel activating agents of the invention are useful for the treatment or alleviation of diseases and conditions associated with the SK/IK channels, in particular respiratory diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rhinorrhea, convulsions, vascular spasms, coronary artery spasms, renal disorders, polycystic kidney disease, bladder spasms, urinary incontinence, bladder outflow obstruction, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal dysfunction, secretory diarrhea, ischaemia, cerebral ischaemia, ischaemic heart disease, angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, traumatic brain injury, psychosis, anxiety, depression, dementia, memory and attention deficits, Alzheimer's disease, dysmenorrhea, narcolepsy, Reynaud's disease, intermittent claudication, Sjorgren's syndrome, migraine, arrhythmia, hypertension, absence seizures, myotonic muscle dystrophia, xerostomi, diabetes type II, hyperinsulinemia, premature labor, baldness, cancer, and immune suppression.