Phenyl or heteroaryl and tetrahydronaphthyl substituted diene compounds having retinoid like biological activity

A compound of the formula ##STR6## wherein m is 1-4;

• R.sub.1 -R.sub.4 independently are hydrogen, lower alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, Cl, Br, or I;
• R.sub.5 is hydrogen, lower alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, Cl, Br, I, lower alkoxy or lower thioalkoxy of 1-6 carbons;
• R.sub.6 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, Cl, Br, I, OR.sub.11, SR.sub.11, OCOR.sub.11, SCOR.sub.11, NH2, NHR.sub.11, N(R.sub.11).sub.2, NHCOR.sub.11 OR NR.sub.11 --COR.sub.11 ;
• R.sub.20 is independently hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• Y is thiazolyl or oxazolyl;
• A is (CH.sub.2).sub.n where n is 0-5, lower branched chain alkyl having 3-6 carbons, cycloalkyl having 3-6 carbons, alkenyl having 2-6 carbons and 1 or 2 double bonds, alkynyl having 2-6 carbons and 1 or 2 triple bonds;
• B is hydrogen, COOH or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, COOR.sub.8, CONR.sub.9 R.sub.10, --CH.sub.2 OH, CH.sub.2 OR.sub.11, CH.sub.2 OCOR.sub.11, CHO, CH(OR.sub.12).sub.2, CHOR.sub.13 O, --COR.sub.7, CR.sub.7 (OR.sub.12).sub.2, or CR.sub.7 OR.sub.13 O, where R.sub.7 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or alkenyl group containing 1 to 5 carbons, R.sub.8 is an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbons, or a cycloalkyl group of 5 to 10 carbons, or R.sub.8 is phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 independently are hydrogen, an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbons, or a cycloalkyl group of 5-10 carbons, or phenyl or lower aklylphenyl, R.sub.11 is lower alkyl, phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R.sub.12 is lower alkyl, and R.sub.13 is divalent alkyl radical of 2-5 carbons, with the proviso that the diene and A-B moieties are attached to adjacent carbon atoms of the aryl or heteroaryl group symbolized by Y.