A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of Formula I ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from, inter alia, alkyl, aryl-loweralkyl, heterocycle-loweralkyl, loweralkyl-carbonate; optionally substituted amino; benzimidaz-2-yl; optionally substituted phenyl; loweralkyl-(R.sup.5)(R.sup.6) wherein one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is selected from H and and the other is selected from carboxy, carboxy-loweralkyl and lower alkoxycarbonyl; NHCH.sub.2CH.sub.2OX wherein X represents an in vivo hydrolyzable ester; and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently selected from H, NO.sub.2, halo, di(loweralkyl)amino, cyano, C(O)OH, phenyl-S-, loweralkyl, and Z(O)OR.sup.7 wherein Z is selected from C and S and R.sup.7 is selected from H, lower alkylamino and arylamino; or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or certain in vivo hydrolyzable esters or amides thereof, in an amount effective to inhibit neurotrophin-mediated activity, and a suitable carrier, is described.The compositions are useful to inhibit undesirable neurotrophin-mediated activity such as the neurite outgrowth that occurs in some neurodegenerative disease states.