Bis-(1H-indol-3-yl)-maleinimide derivatives, processes for the preparation thereof and pharmaceutical compositions containing them

A compound of formula ##STR16## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently 2-piperidinoethyl, 3-piperidinopropyl, 2-pyrrolidinyoethyl, 3-pyrrolidinopropyl, 2-morpholinoethyl, 3-morpholinopropyl, pyrrolidin-2-ylmethyl, N-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl-methyl, and R.sup.5 and R.sup.8 are each independently 2-piperidinoethoxy, 3-piperidinopropoxy, 2-pyrrolidinoethoxy, 3-pyrrolidinopropoxy, 2-morpholinoethoxy, 3-morpholinopropoxy, 2-piperazinoethyl, 3-piperazinopropyl, pyrrolidin-2-ylmethoxy or N-methylpyrrolidin-2-ylmethoxy;

• R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, and R.sup.10 are each independently hydrogen, halogen, alkyl of from one to four carbon atoms, alkoxy of from one to four carbon atoms, acyloxy of from one to four carbon atoms, nitro, amino which is unsubstituted or mono- or disubstituted by benzyl, alkyl of from one to four carbon atoms, benzyloxy, hydroxy, aminoalkoxy of from one to twelve carbon atoms and which nitrogen can be unsubstituted or mono- or disubstituted by benzyl or by alkyl of from one to four carbon atoms or the substituents together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring containing from three to six atoms or the alkyl is unsubstituted or substituted by alkyl of from one to four carbon atoms, hydroxy, alkoxy of from one to four carbon atoms, trifluoromethyl or two neighboring substituents form methylene, with the proviso that not all of R.sup.1 to R.sup.10 are hydrogen and R.sup.10 can also be cyanoalkyl or when R.sup.4 or R.sup.4 and R.sup.9 are hydroxy, the others of R.sup.1 to R.sup.10 are not hydrogen.

A compound selected from the group consisting of:

• 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-[1-(3-(1-piperidino)propyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]maleinimide,
• 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-[1-(3-(4-morpholino)propyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]maleinimide,
• 2-(5-methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)-3-[1-(3-(4-morpholino)propyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]mal einimide,
• 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-[5-methoxy-1-(3-(4-morpholino)propyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]mal einimide,
• 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-[5-methoxy-1-(3-(1-piperidino)propyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]mal einimide,
• 2-(5- methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)-3-[1-(3-(1-piperidino)propyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]maleini mide.