Thiazolidinecarboxylic acid amide derivatives and their therapeutic uses

Compounds of formula (I):

• ##STR75## wherein:
• R.sup.1 represents a pyridyl group which is unsubstituted or is substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and alkoxy groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a pyridyl group which is unsubstituted or which is substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and alkoxy groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxycarbonyl group having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms, an aralkyloxycarbonyl group in which the alkyl part has from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and the aryl part is as defined below, an aryloxycarbonyl group in which the aryl part is as defined below, an aliphatic carboxylic acyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, an aliphatic carboxylic acyl group which has from 2 to 5 carbon atoms and which is substituted by at least one halogen atom, an arylcarbonyl group in which the aryl part is as defined below, an alkylsulfonyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an arylsulfonyl group in which the aryl part is as defined below, or a group formula -B'-NR.sup.5' R.sup.6', in which
• B' represents an alkylene or alkylidene group having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• and
• R.sup.5' and R.sup.6' are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• said aryl groups have from 6 to 10 ring atoms and are unsubstituted or are substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and halogen atoms;
• R.sup.4 represents a group of formula (VI)':
• ##STR76## R.sup.4' represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• A' represents an alkylene or alkylidene group having from 2 to 7 carbon atoms;
• and
• Z' represents a group of formula:
• ##STR77## or a group of formulae (II)', (III)', (IV)' or (V)' in which one or more of the ring atoms is substituted by an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• in which:
• R.sup.7' and R.sup.8' are independently selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted phenyl groups, substituted phenyl groups which are substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of substituents (a), defined below, and aromatic heterocyclic groups which have 5 or 6 ring atoms of which 1 or 2 are hetero-atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur hetero-atoms, said aromatic heterocyclic groups being unsubstituted or being substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of substituents (a), defined below;
• said substituents (a) are selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halogen atoms and haloalkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• E' represents a direct carbon-carbon single bond or an oxygen atom;
• and
• m is 2 or 3;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.