Substituted aryl or heteroarylamides having retinoid-like biological activity

A compound of the formula

• wherein R1 is independently H or alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons;
• m is an integer having the value of 0-5;
• p is an integer having the value of 0-2;
• r is an integer having the value 0-2;
• Z is O or S;
• Y is a naphthyl group, or heteroaryl selected from a group consisting of pyridazinyl, pyrimidinyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, imidazolyl and pyrrazolyl, said naphthyl and heteroaryl groups being optionally substituted with one or two R1 groups;
• W is a substituent selected independently from the group consisting of F, Br, Cl, I, C1-6alkyl, fluoro substituted C1-6 alkyl, NO2, N3, OH, OCH2OCH3, OC1-10alkyl, tetrazol, CN, SO2C1-6-alkyl, SO2C1-6-fluoro substituted alkyl, SO-C1-6 alkyl, CO-C1-6alkyl, COOR8, phenyl, phenyl itself substituted with a W group other than with phenyl or substituted phenyl;
• A is (CH2)q where q 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, and
• B is COOH or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, COOR8, CONRR10 , —CH2OH, CH2OR11, CH2OCOR11, CHO, CH(OR12)2, CHOR13O, —COR7, CR7OR12)2, CR7OR13O, where R7 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or alkenyl group containing 1 to 5 carbons, R8 is an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbons or trimethylsilylalkyl where the alkyl group has 1 to 10 carbons, or a cycloalkyl group of 5 to 10 carbons, or R8 is phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R9 and R10 independently are hydrogen, an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbons, or a cycloalkyl group of 5-10 carbons, or phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R11 is lower alkyl, phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R12 is lower alkyl, and R13 is divalent alkyl radical of 2-5 carbons.