Therapeutic compounds with at least one carboxylic acid, ester or amide-substituted side chain have the formula: CORE MOIETY --(R).sub.j wherein j is an integer from one to three. The core moiety is non-cyclic or cyclic (carbocyclic or heterocyclic). R may be selected from among hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, amino, substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.(1-10) alkyl, C.sub.(2-10) alkenyl, carbocyclic or heterocyclic groups and at least one R has the formula I: ##STR1## wherein: one or two p are the integer one, otherwise p is two; and n is an integer from three to twenty; R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted CH.sub.2 ; NR.sub.3, R.sub.3 being hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.(1-20) alkyl, C.sub.(1-20) alkoxyl, C.sub.(2-20) alkenyl or C.sub.(1-20) hydroxyalkyl, or carbocyclic or heterocyclic group; O; --CHR.sub.4 O--, R.sub.4 being substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.(1-20) alkyl, C.sub.(1-20) alkoxyl, C.sub.(2-20) alkenyl, C.sub.(1-20) hydroxyalkyl, or R.sub.2 and R.sub.4 join to form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle having four to seven ring atoms, the ether group --O-- of --CHR.sub.4 O-- being a member of the heterocycle. R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; halogen; substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.(1-10) alkyl; C.sub.(1-10) alkoxyl; C.sub.(2-10) alkenyl; C.sub.(1-10) hydroxyallyl; --A(R.sub.5).sub.m, A being N or O, m being one or two and R.sub.5 being hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.(1-10) alkyl, C.sub.(1-10) alkoxyl, C.sub.(2-10) alkenyl or C.sub.(1-10) hydroxyalkyl), or carbocyclic or heterocyclic group. At least one of R.sub.1 is NR.sub.3, O or --CHR.sub.4 O--, or R.sub.2 is --A(R.sub.5).sub.m. The compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof are useful as therapies for diseases advanced via intracellular signaling through specific intracellular signaling pathways by mediating a signaling response to an external stimuli.