Pharmaceutical composition containing 4-oxo-butynic acids

A compound of formula:

• ##STR41## wherein A and B are chosen, independently of each other, from:
• a mono-, bi- or tricyclic aryl group having from 6 to 14 carbon atoms;
• a heteroaromatic group chosen from pyridyl, pyrimidyl, pyrrolyl, furyl and thienyl groups;
• an alkyl group having from 1 to 14 carbon atoms;
• a cycloalkyl group having from 5 to 8 carbon atoms;
• and
• a saturated heterocyclic group chosen from tetrahydrofuryl, tetrahydropyranyl, piperidyl and pyrrolidinyl groups;
• wherein A and B are optionally substituted with 1 to 3 substituents chosen from a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkoxy group, C.sub.6 -C.sub.14 aryl group, a heteroaryl group chosen from pyridyl, pyrimidyl, pyrrolyl, furyl and thienyl, a (C.sub.6 -C.sub.14)aryl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl group, a (C.sub.6 -C.sub.14)aryl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl (C.sub.6 -C.sub.14)aryl group, halogen, a trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, cyano, hydroxyl, nitro, amino, carboxyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkylsulphonyl, sulphoaamino, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkylsulphonylamino, sulphamoyl or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkylcarbonylamino group,
• or two of the substituents form a methylenedioxy group,
• with the exclusion of compounds of formula I in which B is an unsubstituted phenyl group and A is a phenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, 4-chlorophenyl or cyclohexyl group,
• or a solvate or salt thereof.