Novel diphenylethylene compounds

A compound of the formula I:

• 9
• wherein the bond represented by the dotted line may be an optional double bond, and the geometry across the bond may be E or Z;
• A=—COOR, —CONR′R″, —CN, —COR7 wherein R, R′, R″ and R7 are defined below;
• X=H, OH, or C1-C10 linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl groups, optionally substituted with COOR, carbonyl, or halo;
• R=H or C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl or aryl or aralkyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable counter-ion;
• R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 are independently H;
• C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl groups optionally substituted;
• COOR where R is as defined previously;
• NR′R″ or CONR′R″, where R′ and R″ may be independently H or C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl or aryl;
• OH;
• C1-C20 alkoxy;
• C1-C20 acylamino;
• C1-C20 acyloxy;
• C1-C20 alkanoyl;
• C1-C20 alkoxycarbonyl;
• halo;
• NO2;
• SO2R′″;
• CZ3, where each Z is independently a halo atom, H, alkyl, chloro or fluoro-substituted alkyl;
• or SR′″, where R′″ may be H or linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl;
• or R2 and R3 together, or R5 and R6 together may be joined to form methylenedioxy or ethylenedioxy groups;
• with the proviso that when X, R3, R5 and R6 are H;
• R4 is p-hydroxy;
• R1 and R2 together are 3,5-dimethoxy;
• then the dotted line is not a double bond in the E-configuration.