Pharmaceutical agents for treatment of emesis

A method of treating or preventing emesis in a mammal, comprising administering to said mammal an amount of a compound of the formula ##STR58## wherein X.sup.1 is hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10)alkoxy optionally substituted with from one to three fluorine atoms or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10) alkyl optionally substituted with from one to three fluorine atoms;

• X.sup.2 and X.sup.3 are independently selected from hydrogen, halo, nitro, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10)alkyl optionally substituted with from one to three fluorine atoms, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10)alkoxy optionally substituted with from one to three fluorine atoms, trifluoromethyl hydroxy, phenyl, cyano, amino, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)-alkylamino, di-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkylamino, ##STR59## hydroxy(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy(C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl, ##STR60## and R.sup.3 is a group of the formula ##STR61## wherein X.sup.4 is (CH.sub.2).sub.q wherein q is an integer from 2 to 4;
• m is O;
• R.sup.16 is hydrogen;
• R.sup.17 is absent;
• R.sup.12 is a radical selected from hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6) straight or branched alkyl, (C.sub.3 -C.sub.7)cycloalkyl wherein one of the carbon atoms may optionally be replaced by nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur;
• aryl selected from biphenyl, phenyl, indanyl and naphthyl;
• heteroaryl selected from thienyl, furyl, pyridyl, thiazolyl, isothiazolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl, triazolyl, tetrazolyl and quinolyl;
• phenyl-(C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkyl, benzhydryl and benzyl, wherein the point of attachment on R.sup.12 is a carbon atom unless R.sup.12 is hydrogen, and wherein each of said aryl and heteroaryl groups and the phenyl moieties of said benzyl, phenyl-(C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkyl and benzhydryl may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from halo, nitro, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10)alkyl optionally substituted with from one to three fluorine atoms, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10)alkoxy optionally substituted with from one to three fluorine atoms, amino, hydroxy-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxy-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)-alkylamino, ##STR62## and wherein one of the phenyl moieties of said benzhydryl may optionally be replaced by naphthyl, thienyl, furyl or pyridyl;
• R.sup.13 is hydrogen, phenyl or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl;
• or R.sup.12 and R.sup.13, together with the carbon to which they are attached, form a saturated carbocyclic ring having from 3 to 7 carbon atoms wherein one of said carbon atoms that is neither the point of attachment of the spiro ring nor adjacent to it may optionally be replaced by oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur;
• R.sup.14 and R.sup.15 are each independently selected from hydrogen, hydroxy, halo, amino, oxo (.dbd.O ), cyano, hydroxy-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxy-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkylamino, di-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkylamino, ##STR63## and the radicals set forth in the definition of R.sup.12 ;
• with the proviso that (a) when R.sup.14 and R.sup.15 are attached to the same carbon atom, then either each of R.sup.14 and R.sup.15 is independently selected from hydrogen, fluoro, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, hydroxy-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl and (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxy-(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, or R.sup.14 and R.sup.15, together with the carbon to which they are attached, form a (C.sub.3 -C.sub.6) saturated carbocyclic ring that forms a spiro compound with the nitrogen-containing ring to which they are attached;
• (b) R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 cannot both be hydrogen;
• (c) when R.sup.14 or R.sup.15 is attached to a carbon atom of X.sup.4 that is adjacent to the ring nitrogen, then R.sup.14 or R.sup.15, respectively, must be a substituent wherein the point of attachment is a carbon atom;
• and (d) neither R.sup.14 , R.sup.15 can form a ring with R.sup.13 ;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, effective in treating or preventing such condition.