Use of heteroaryl-3-oxo-propanenitrile derivatives in treating clinical wherein myelopoiesis suppression occurs

A method for the treatment of a mammal suffering from suppression of myelopoiesis caused by cancer chemotherapy, cancer radiation therapy, immunosuppressant therapy following an organ or tissue transplantation, immunosuppressant therapy for an autoimmune disease, an autologous or allogenic bone marrow transplant, a burn, exposure to radiation or to a chemical which suppresses myelopoiesis, aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome or a congenital or acquired bone marrow disorder, the said method comprising administering thereto a therapeutically effective amount of a heteroaryl-3-oxopropanenitrile derivative of formula (I):

• ##STR44## wherein X represents --CH.sub.2 --, --O--CH.sub.2 --or --S--CH.sub.2 -- ;
• R.sub.1 represents phenyl, the phenyl being unsubstituted or substituted by one or two halogen atoms;
• R.sub.2 represents:
• a) hydrogen, halogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;
• b) C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkoxy;
• c) nitro or amino;
• d) a ##STR45## group wherein R' and R", taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are linked, form a heterocyclic ring which is selected from the group consisting of N-pyrrolidinyl, N-piperazinyl, hexahydroazepin-1-yl, thiomorpholino, morpholino and piperidino which is unsubstituted or substituted by C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;
• e) C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkoxycarbonyl;
• f) an --NHCO(CH.sub.2).sub.n COOR group, wherein n is zero and R is C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;
• or
• g) a C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkoxycarbonyl group substituted by a ##STR46## group, wherein R' and R" are each a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group;
• R.sub.3 is as previously defined for R.sub.2 above under a), b) and c);
• Q represents a ##STR47## group wherein R.sub.a represents hydrogen and R.sub.b represents a --(A).sub.m --R.sub.5 group wherein m is zero or 1, A is C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkylene and R.sub.5 is phenyl, unsubstituted or substituted by one or two substituents independently selected form halogen, CF.sub.3, and nitro;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.