Pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting the growth of viruses and cancers

A method of treating cancer in warm blooded mammals comprising administering a safe and effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a N-phosphonoglycine derivatives of the formula:

• ##STR4## wherein X is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, alkoxy or chloroxy up to 12 carbon atoms;
• lower alkenoxy, cyclohexyloxy, morpholino, pyrrlidinyl, piperidino and NHR';
• Y and Z each independently selected from hydrogen and lower alkyl;
• and R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, formyl, acetyl, benzoyl, nitrobenzoyl and chlorinated benzoyl;
• and R' is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl and lower alkenyl, cyclohexyl, phenalkyl of up to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, chlorinated phenyl and anisyl;
• and certain salts of these compounds, which salts are selected from the group consisting of the Group I and II metals having an atomic number of up to 30, hydrochloride, salicylate, acetate, pyridine, ammonium, lower aliphatic hydrocarbon amine, lower alkanol amine and aniline.