The target is to provide PDE IV inhibitors which have a highly potent
anti-asthmatic and/or COPD-prophylactic/therapeutic profile with
unexpectedly excellent safety. A compound of the formula (1): wherein A
is phenyl, pyridyl, 1-oxypyridyl, or thienyl, which may be unsubstituted
or optionally substituted with one or more members selected from the
group consisting of hydroxyl, halogen, cyano, nitro, lower alkyl, lower
alkoxy, lower alkylcarbonyloxy, amino, carboxyl, lower alkoxycarbonyl,
carboxy-lower alkylene, lower alkoxycarbonyl-lower alkylene, lower
alkylsulfonyl, lower alkylsulfonylamino, and ureido; R.sup.1 is a group
selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, cyano,
nitro, lower alkoxy, amino, carboxyl, and lower alkoxycarbonyl; R.sup.2
is hydrogen or lower alkyl; and m is an integer of 1 to 3; or a
pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, possesses highly excellent PDE
IV-specific inhibitory actions and is useful as an anti-asthmatic drug
and/or a prophylactic/therapeutic drug for COPD with high safety.