2,2-Dichloroalkanecarboxylic acids, processes for their production and pharmaceutical agents containing these

A method of treating diabetus mellitus in a patient in need of such treatment, comprising administering an antidiabetic amount of a compound of formula (I) to said patient:

• ##STR3## wherein A is an alkylene chain of 5-20 carbon atoms;
• A' is a valency bond, a vinylene or acetylene group or an alkylene chain of 1-10 carbon atoms;
• B is a valency bond, a methylene group, a sulfoxide group, sulphur, oxygen or a NR.sup.1 group, wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen, benzyl, phenyl or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl residue, or B is a carbonyl, sulfonamide, sulfoxide or sulfone group, an E- or Z-vinylene or an acetylene group, a CR.sup.2 R.sup.3 group
• wherein R.sup.2 is hydrogen, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl residue or phenyl, and R.sup.3 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl residue, benzyl, phenyl, hydroxy or a group NR.sup.4 R.sup.5,
• wherein R.sup.4 is hydrogen, benzyl, phenyl or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl residue and R.sup.5 is hydrogen or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl residue,
• or B is a group Y--Z--Y, wherein Y is sulphur or oxygen, and Z is an alkyl chain (CH.sub.2).sub.n, wherein n is 1-5;
• and
• W is a halogen atom;
• a cyano or thiocyano group;
• an aminocarbonyl group, a methyl, isopropyl or t-butyl residue;
• a C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 cycloalkyl residue which is unsubstituted or substituted by phenyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl;
• a cyclohexenyl or cyclopentenyl residue;
• a phenyl ring which is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one of C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylthio, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfinyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfonyl, trifluoromethyl, nitro, amino, hydroxy, cyano, mercapto, carboxy, phenoxy, benzyloxy, phenyl, benzol, carboxy-C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, methylenedioxy, ethylenedioxy, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, carboxymethoxy, caboxyethoxy, acetoxy, acetyl, propionyl, a NR.sup.6 R.sup.7 group, wherein R.sup.6 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or benzyl and R.sup.7 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, benzyl, phenyl or benzoyl;
• wherein an aromatic ring of R.sup.6 or R.sup.7 is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one of halogen, hydroxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, or R.sup.7 is an .alpha.- or .beta.-naphthyl ring which is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one of methyl, hydroxy, methoxy, carboxy, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, cyano, acetyl, chlorine or bromine or a tetrahydronaphthyl residue;
• or a physiologically tolerated salt or ester or optical isomer thereof.