Composition for treating depression with (N-heteroaryl)alkylamines

A pharmaceutical composition comprising an amount effective to alleviate depression or memory impairment or dementias of a compound of formula Ib ##STR16## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein E represents hydrogen, lower alkyl or a group Ar.sup.1 --A.sup.1 ;

• Ar is a mono or M-cyclic heteroaryl group of 5 to 10 ring atoms in which the heteroaryl group contains one or two nitrogen heteroatoms and optionally a further heteroatom selected from O and S, which is optionally substituted by one to three substituents independently selected from lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, haloloweralkyl, haloloweralkoxy, cyano, amino, mono- or di-lower alkylamino and nitro;
• Ar.sup.1 when present is the same or a different heteroaryl group selected from Ar as defined above, or Ar.sup.1 is a mono- or bicyclic aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms which is optionally substituted by one to three of the substituents as defined for Ar;
• A and A.sup.1 are independently --(CH.sub.2).sub.m ;
• where m is 1 or 2, optionally substituted by lower alkyl or an Ar.sup.2 group wherein Ar.sup.2 is the same or a different aryl or heteroaryl group selected from Ar.sup.1 as defined above;
• B is an alkylene group of 3 or 4 carbon atoms, which may be substituted by lower alkyl;
• and
• D.sup.1 represents halogen, CH.sub.3, CR.sup.1 R.sup.2 NH.sub.2.SO.sub.3 H or SO.sub.2 NR.sup.6 R.sup.7 where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently hydrogen or lower alkyl and R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are each hydrogen, lower alkyl or aralkyl of 7 to 12 carbon atoms or R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached represent a 5 or 6 membered ring and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, with the provisos:
• (i) where D.sup.1 is CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2, then B is other than --(CH.sub.2).sub.4 ;
• (ii)when Ar--A represents 2-(3-indolyl)ethyl and D.sup.1 is CH.sub.3 then E is other than hydrogen or loweralkyl;
• (iii) when Ar--A represents (pyrid-3-yl)methyl and D.sup.1 is CH.sub.3 then E is other than hydrogen;
• and
• (iv) when NR.sup.6 R.sup.7 represents a 5- or 6-membered ring and A is ethylene optionally substituted by lower alkyl then E is other than lower alkyl.