Diamondoid derivatives for pharmaceutical use

A method of inhibiting a retrovirus which comprises contacting the virus, a virus-infectable cell or a virus-infected cell with a compound of formula I, formula II or combinations thereof:

• ##STR43## wherein Y is a bond,
• R.sub.1, R.sub.4, R.sub.7 and R.sub.10 are individually hydrogen, hydroxyl or methyl;
• R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.8, R.sub.9, R.sub.11, R.sub.12, R.sub.13, R.sub.14, R.sub.15 and R.sub.16 are individually hydroxyl double bonded oxygen ##STR44## an amino acid, a secondary amine, a tertiary amine or hydrogen;
• except R.sub.1 -R.sub.16 are not all hydrogen and at least one of R.sub.1 -R.sub.16 is a polar group, or ##STR45## wherein Y is a bond,
• R.sub.17, R.sub.18, R.sub.21, R.sub.24 4 R.sub.25, R.sub.28, R.sub.31 and R.sub.32 are hydrogen;
• R.sub.19, R.sub.20, R.sub.22, R.sub.23, R.sub.26, R.sub.27, R.sub.29, R.sub.30, R.sub.33, R.sub.34, R.sub.35 and R.sub.36 are individually hydrogen, double-bonded oxygen, ##STR46## wherein R.sub.c is methyl
• R.sub.d is methyl,
• R.sub.e is (CH.sub.2).sub.n (CH.sub.3).sub.3 (X.sup.-), n=2 or 3, or lower alkyl of 1 to 8 carbons,
• R.sub.f is methyl
• X is a counterion except that R.sub.17 -R.sub.36 are not all hydrogen and at least one of R.sub.17 -R.sub.36 is a polar group
• with the proviso that the compounds of formula I have one, two or four polar groups and when the compound of formula I has more than one polar group, the polar groups are present in a 1,3;
• 2,4;
• or 1,3,5,7 relationship;
• and the compounds of formula II have one polar group,
• wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of diamondoid alcohols, diamondoid polyols, diamondoid amino acids, diamondoid quaternary ammonium salts and diamondoid ketones.