wherein Ar¹ and Ar² are phenyl, R²-substituted phenyl, heteroaryl or R²-substituted heteroaryl, wherein R² is 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of halogeno, hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, nitro, amino, lower alkylamino and lower dialkylamino; X, Y and Z are -CH₂-, -CH(alkyl)-, -C(alkyl)₂-, -NH-, -N(alkyl)-, -O- or SO r , wherein r is 0, 1 or 2, and m, n and p are 0 or 1; R¹ is an alkyl chain of 1 to 25 carbon atoms; an alkyl chain substituted by one or more optionally substituted phenyl or heteroaryl groups; an alkyl chain -O-, -SO r , phenylene, R²-substituted phenylene, heteroarylene or R²-substituted heteroarylene groups; an interrupted alkyl chain substituted by one or more optionally substituted phenyl or heteroaryl groups; an alkyl chain of 4 to 25 carbon atoms, interrupted by one or more -NH-, -C(O)- or -N(lower alkyl)- groups; an interrupted alkyl chain of 4 to 25 carbon atoms substituted by one or more phenyl, R²-substituted phenyl, heteroaryl or R²-substituted heteroaryl groups; a diphenylamino group; a di-(R²-substituted phenyl)amino group; a diheteroarylamino group; or a di-(R²-substituted heteroaryl)amino group; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, useful in the treatment of artherosclerosis are disclosed.
wherein A is -CH=CH-B; -C≡C-B; -(CH₂) p -X-B, wherein p is 0-2 and X is a bond, -NH- or-S(O)₀₋₂; optionally substituted heteroaryl or benzofused heteroaryl; -C(O)-B; or
wherein k is 1-2; D is B'-(CH₂) m C(O)-, wherein m is 1-5; B'-(CH₂) q -, wherein q is 2-6; B'-(CH₂) e -Z-(CH₂) r -, wherein Z is -O-, -C(O)-, phenylene, -NR₈- or -S(O)₀₋₂-, e is 0-5 and r is 1-5, provided that the sum of e and r is 1-6; B'-(alkenylene)-; B'-(alkadienylene)-; B'-(CH₂) t -Z-(alkenylene), wherein t is 0-3, provided that the sum of t and the number of carbon atoms in the alkenylene chain is 2-6; B'-(CH₂) f -V-(CH₂) g -, wherein V is cycloalkylene, f is 1-5 and g is 0-5, provided that the sum of f and g is 1-6; B'-(CH₂) t -V-(alkenylene) or B'-(alkenylene)-V-(CH₂) t -, provided that the sum of t and the number of carbon atoms in the alkenylene chain is 2-6; B'-(CH₂)a-Z-(CH₂)b-V-(CH₂)d-, wherein a, b and d are 0-6, provided that the sum of a, b and d is 0-6; T(CH₂) s -, wherein T is cycloalkyl and s is 1-6; naphthylmethyl or optionally substituted heteroarylmethyl; B is optionally substituted phenyl; B' is naphthyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl or optionally substituted phenyl; R is hydrogen, fluoro, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or B-(CH₂)h-, wherein h is 0-3; R4 is optionally substituted phenyl, indanyl, benzofuranyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, pyridyl, pyrazinyl, pyrimidinyl or quinolyl; are disclosed, as well as their use as hypocholesterolemic agents; the method of using compounds of the formula II
wherein R₂₀ is optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted naphthyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, or optionally substituted benzofused heteroaryl, R₂₁, R₂₂ and R₂₃ are independently selected from H or R₂₀; E, F and G are independently a bond; cycloalkylene; alkylene; alkenylene; alkynylene; a substituted alkylene, alkenylene or alkynylene chain ; an interrupted alkylene, alkenylene or alkynylene chain ; or an interrupted alkylene, alkenylene or alkynylene chain substituted by one or more substituents; or one of R₂₁-E and R₂₂-F is selected from the group consisting of halogeno, OH, alkoxy, -OC(O)R₅, -NR₁₀R₁₁, -SH or -S(alkyl); R₅ is alkyl, phenyl, R₁₄-phenyl, benzyl or R₁₄-benzyl; R₁₀ and R₁₁ are independently selected from H and lower alkyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, in a pharmaceutically aceptable carrier as hypocholesterolemic agents is also disclosed.