Use of substituted amidino compounds in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This invention relates to the use of organic compounds, particularly substituted amidino compounds, in the treatment of chronic obstructive respiratory diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema, cystic fibrosis and, especially, chronic bronchitis. Use in medicaments for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of compounds of formula wherein the C( NH)-NHRgroup may be in tautomeric or isomeric form, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, in which:Ris amino which is mono- or disubstituted by a substituent selected from an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, an araliphatic hydrocarbon radical, an aromatic radical, and a cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radical or is amino which is disubstituted by a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radical or a said radical interrupted by oxygen;Ris hydrogen, halogen, trifluoromethyl, an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, hydroxy or is hydroxy which is etherified by an aliphatic, araliphatic or aromatic alcohol or by an aliphatic alcohol which is substituted by carboxy, by esterified carboxy or by amidated carboxy or which is esterified by an aliphatic or araliphatic carboxylic acid;Ris hydrogen or an acyl radical which is derived from an organic carbonic acid, an organic carboxylic acid, a sulfonic acid, or a carbamic acid;Xand X, independently or one another, are oxygen (-O-) or sulphur (-S-); and Xis a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radical which may be interrupted by an aromatic radical;wherein the phenyl rings of formula I may be, independently or one another, further substituted by one or more substituents selected from halogen, trifluoromethyl, an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, hydroxy, and hydroxy which is etherified by an aliphatic alcohol or which is esterified by an aliphatic or araliphatic carboxylic acid;wherein aryl in the above definitions may be, independently of one another, further substituted by one or more substituents selected from halogen, trifluoromethyl, an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, hydroxy, and hydroxy which is etherified by an aliphatic alcohol or which is esterified by an aliphatic or araliphatic carboxylic acid;wherein a cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radical may be substituted by an aliphatic radical.