Substituted benzo(B)thiophene compounds having activity as selective estrogen receptor modulators

A compound having the formula:

• ##STR14## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, hydroxy, --O(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl), --OC(O)(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl), --OC(O)O(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl), --OC(O)Ar, --OC(O)OAr, and --OSO.sub.2 (C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 alkyl);
• where Ar is unsubstituted phenyl or is phenyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl of one to six carbon atoms, alkoxy of one to six carbon atoms, hydroxy, nitro, chloro, fluoro, trichloromethyl, and trifluoromethyl;
• W is --CHOH--, --C(O)--, or --CH.sub.2 --;
• Y is --CH.sub.2 --, --NH--, --NMe--, --S--, or --SO.sub.2 --;
• and
• R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl of one to six carbon atoms, --C(O)(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl), --C(O)NH(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl), --C(O)Ar, where Ar is as defined above, or together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form 1-pyrrolidinyl, 1-piperidinyl, or a 5- or 6-membered imide or cyclic amide ring;
• provided that when R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are H, alkyl, or combine to form a 1-pyrrolidinyl, 1-piperidinyl, or a 5- or 6-membered imide ring, then R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of --OC(O)O(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl), --OC(O)Ar', --OC(O)OAr, and --OSO.sub.2 (C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 alkyl);
• where Ar is as defined above and Ar' is phenyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of nitro, chloro, fluoro, trichloromethyl, and trifluoromethyl.