Morphalinomethyl-substituted 1-phenyl-indero-[1,2-c]pyrazol-3-yl derivatives of 2-cyano-3-oxo-propanamides useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

A method of treating a mammal suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, which method comprises administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a heteroaryl-3-oxo-propanenitrile derivative of formula (I) ##STR43## wherein X represents a --CH(R.sub.4)--group, wherein R.sub.4 represents hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;

• R.sub.1 represents phenyl, the phenyl being unsubstituted or substituted by a substituent chosen from halogen, trifluoromethyl and C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;
• R.sub.2 represents a ##STR44## group wherein each of R' and R", taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are linked, form a morpholino ring which is unsubstituted or substituted by C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;
• R.sub.3 is hydrogen;
• Q represents a ##STR45## 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 a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkylene chain and R.sub.5 is phenyl, unsubstituted or substituted by one substituent chosen from halogen, CF.sub.3 and C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;
• or a pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable salt thereof.