A compound of the general formula wherein: W is aryl or heteroaryl; a is 0, 1, 2, or 3; R and R' are the same or different and, independently from each other, are selected from: hydrogen; halogen; (C1-C3)alkoxy; (C1-C2)haloalkoxy; (C1-C2)haloalkyl; NR 1 R 2; CN; SO 2 NH 2; or optionally substituted (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl; R" is independently selected from: halogen; (C1-C3)alkyl; (C1-C3)alkoxy; (C1-C3)alkoxyalkyl; (C1-C2)haloalkoxy; (C1-C2)haloalkyl; NR 3 R 4; or (CH 2) n -X-(CH 2) m -Q, wherein: n, m independently, are 0, 1, or 2; X is a direct bond; O; S; NH; N(C1-C3)alkyl; Q is an optionally substituted aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl or cycloalkyl; R 1, R 2, R 3, and R 4 are the same or different and, independently from each other, are a hydrogen atom; a (C1-C3)alkyl or, taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, R 1 -N-R 2 and R 3 -N-R 4 may form a heterocyclic ring of formula: wherein: R 5 is a hydrogen atom or a (C1-C3)alkyl group; wherein any of the above (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl, or cycloalkyl groups may be optionally further substituted in any of their free positions by one or more groups; and wherein a cycloalkyl group can have one or more carbon-carbon double bonds in the ring so long as the ring is not rendered aromatic by their presence; and wherein a heterocycloalkyl group can have one or more carbon-carbon double bonds or carbon-heteroatoms double bonds in the ring as long as the ring is not rendered aromatic by their presence; with the proviso that: -3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)- N -[4-[[4-[[ -3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]-amino]-phenyl]-methyl]-phenyl]-acrylamide is excluded and when W is phenyl, a is not 0; when W is phenyl and R is hydrogen, R" is other than chlorine, methyl, isopropyl, CF 3 or NH 2; when W is indazol-5-yl or pyrid-2-yl, R is other than hydrogen, (C1-C3)alkoxy; as well as its isomers, tautomers, racemic forms, enantiomers, diastereomers, epimers, mixtures thereof and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. W is aryl or heteroaryl; a is 0, 1, 2, or 3; R and R' are the same or different and, independently from each other, are selected from: hydrogen; halogen; (C1-C3)alkoxy; (C1-C2)haloalkoxy; (C1-C2)haloalkyl; NR 1 R 2; CN; SO 2 NH 2; or optionally substituted (C1-C6)alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl; R" is independently selected from: halogen; (C1-C3)alkyl; (C1-C3)alkoxy; (C1-C3)alkoxyalkyl; (C1-C2)haloalkoxy; (C1-C2)haloalkyl; NR 3 R 4; or (CH 2) n -X-(CH 2) m -Q, wherein: n, m independently, are 0, 1, or 2; X is a direct bond; O; S; NH; N(C1-C3)alkyl; Q is an optionally substituted aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl or cycloalkyl; n, m independently, are 0, 1, or 2; X is a direct bond; O; S; NH; N(C1-C3)alkyl; Q is an optionally substituted aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl or cycloalkyl; R 1, R 2, R 3, and R 4 are the same or different and, independently from each other, are a hydrogen atom; a (C1-C3)alkyl or, taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, R 1 -N-R 2 and R 3 -N-R 4 may form a heterocyclic ring of formula: wherein: R 5 is a hydrogen atom or a (C1-C3)alkyl group; -3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)- N -[4-[[4-[[ -3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]-amino]-phenyl]-methyl]-phenyl]-acrylamide is excluded and when W is phenyl, a is not 0; when W is phenyl and R is hydrogen, R" is other than chlorine, methyl, isopropyl, CF 3 or NH 2; when W is indazol-5-yl or pyrid-2-yl, R is other than hydrogen, (C1-C3)alkoxy; as well as its isomers, tautomers, racemic forms, enantiomers, diastereomers, epimers, mixtures thereof and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.