Pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one compound of the formulas (Ia) or (Ib) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier which is useful in a medicine wherein the symbols, indices and substituents have the following meaning R1═H, CN, NO2, CF3, F, Cl, Br, I, CH3 R2═H, CN, NO2, CF3, F, Cl, Br, I, CH3, Et, n-Pr, i-Pr, n-Bu, t-Bu, phenyl, thienyl, furyl, thiazolyl and either R1 or R2 must be H R3═H, CN, NO2, CF3, F, Cl, Br, I, CH3, Et, n-Pr, i-Pr, n-Bu, t-Bu, phenyl, thienyl, furyl, thiazolyl then X is e.g. with R4 being H, CH3, CH2CH3 or and Y being or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters or amides and prodrugs of the above identified compounds of formulas (Ia) or (Ib). The compounds are applied to modulate the in-vitro and in-vivo binding processes mediated by E-, P- or L-selectin binding.