Farnesyl derivatives and pharmaceutical compositions containing them

A compound of the formula:

• ##STR6## wherein R.sup.1 represents farnesyl, geranyl or geranyl-geranyl;
• Z represents C--R.sup.6 ;
• R.sup.2 represents H, CN, the groups COOR.sup.7, SO.sub.3 R.sup.7, CONR.sup.7 R.sup.8 and SO.sub.2 NR.sup.7 R.sup.8, wherein R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, and the groups COOM and SO.sub.3 M, wherein M is a cation;
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are each independently hydrogen, carboxyl, alkyl, alkenyl, aminoalkyl, nitro, halo, amino, mono- or di-alkylamino, or mercapto, alkylthio and wherein only one of R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are other than hydrogen, alkyl, or halogen;
• X represents O, S, SO, SO.sub.2, or NH;
• and
• when R.sup.1 is geranyl, X is O, R.sup.2 is H and two of R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each H, then the third one is not alkyl, alkylthio or F;
• when R.sup.1 is geranyl, X is SO.sub.2 and R.sup.2 and two of R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each H then the third is not alkyl;
• and
• when R.sup.1 is farnesyl and either X is O and R.sup.4 is NH or OH or X is S, SO, SO.sup.2 or NH and R.sup.4 is OH and at least one of R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.5 is different from hydrogen, alkyl or halogen.