Aromatic compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in therapy

A compound of formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof:

• ##STR16## wherein Q represents R.sup.9 CR.sup.10 R.sup.11 where R.sup.9 is H or hydroxy and R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 each independently represent optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted benzyl, C.sub.5-7 cycloalkyl or (C.sub.5-7 cycloalkyl)methyl;
• R.sup.1 represents H or R.sup.2 ;
• R.sup.2 independently represents C.sub.1-6 alkyl substituted by CONR.sup.a R.sup.b, CONR.sup.12 C.sub.1-6 alkylOR.sup.a or CONR.sup.12 C.sub.1-6 alkylCONR.sup.a R.sup.b (where R.sup.a and R.sup.b each independently represent H, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, phenyl (optionally substituted by one or more of C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.1-6 alkoxy, halo and trifluoromethyl), phenyl(C.sub.1-4 alkyl) (optionally substituted in the phenyl ring by one or more of C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.1-6 alkoxy, halo and trifluoromethyl), and R.sup.12 represents H, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, phenyl (optionally substituted by one or more of C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.1-6 alkoxy, halo and trifluoromethyl) or phenyl(C.sub.1-4 alkyl) (optionally substituted in the phenyl ring by one or more of C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.1-6 alkoxy, halo and trifluoromethyl);
• R.sup.3 represents H, C.sub.1-6 alkyl or C.sub.2-6 alkenyl;
• R.sup.4 represents C.sub.1-3 alkyl substituted by a phenyl group which may itself optionally be substituted by one or more of C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.2-6 alkenyl, C.sub.2-6 alkynyl, halo, cyano, nitro, trifluoromethyl, SR.sup.c, SOR.sup.c, OR.sup.c, NR.sup.c R.sup.d, NR.sup.c COR.sup.d, and CONR.sup.c R.sup.d, where R.sup.c and R.sup.d independently represent H, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, phenyl or trifluoromethyl;
• X and Y each represent H, or X and Y together represent a group .dbd.O;
• and
• Z represents O, S, or NR.sup.7, where R.sup.7 represents H or C.sub.1-6 alkyl;
• with the exception of DL-diphenylalanine benzyl ester, or the hydrochloride salt thereof;
• 2-benzamido-3,3-diphenylpropanoyl benzamide;
• and 2-benzamido-3,4-diphenyl-butanoyl benzamide.