A compound of general formula wherein: R 1 is selected from the group consisting of aryl, heteroaryl, aryl(C 1 -C 6)alkyl and heteroaryl(C 1 -C 6)alkyl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, NHCOR 5, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; R 2 is H or is selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 3 -C 8)cycloalkyl and aryl(C 1 -C 6)alkyl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, NHCOR 5, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, pyridyl and benzothiophenyl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy and aryl(C 1 -C 6)alkoxy; R 5 is selected, independently in each occurrence, from the group consisting of H, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 2 -C 6)alkenyl, (C 3 -C 8)cycloalkyl, heteroaryl and aryl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CONH 2, COOH, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; Q represents a group of formula (i) or (ii) wherein R 4 is a group of formula ---(CH 2)p---P---(CH 2)q---W wherein p is 0 or an integer from 1 to 4; q is 0 or an integer from 1 to 4; P is absent or is selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO, SO 2, CO, NR 5 CH=CH, N(R 5)SO 2, N(R 5)COO, N(R 5)C, SO 2 N(R 5), CO N(R 5) and C N(R 5); W is selected from the group consisting of H, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 2 -C 6)alkenyl, (C 3 -C 8)cycloalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, NHCOR 5, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; A - is a physiologically acceptable anion; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; wherein at least one between R 1 and R 3 is a heteroaryl group and, when Q is a group of formula (i) and R 3 is phenyl, R 1 is other than 2-(methoxycarbonyl) thiophen-3-yl. R 1 is selected from the group consisting of aryl, heteroaryl, aryl(C 1 -C 6)alkyl and heteroaryl(C 1 -C 6)alkyl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, NHCOR 5, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; R 2 is H or is selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 3 -C 8)cycloalkyl and aryl(C 1 -C 6)alkyl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, NHCOR 5, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, pyridyl and benzothiophenyl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy and aryl(C 1 -C 6)alkoxy; R 5 is selected, independently in each occurrence, from the group consisting of H, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 2 -C 6)alkenyl, (C 3 -C 8)cycloalkyl, heteroaryl and aryl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CONH 2, COOH, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; Q represents a group of formula (i) or (ii) wherein R 4 is a group of formula ---(CH 2)p---P---(CH 2)q---W p is 0 or an integer from 1 to 4; q is 0 or an integer from 1 to 4; P is absent or is selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO, SO 2, CO, NR 5 CH=CH, N(R 5)SO 2, N(R 5)COO, N(R 5)C, SO 2 N(R 5), CO N(R 5) and C N(R 5); W is selected from the group consisting of H, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 2 -C 6)alkenyl, (C 3 -C 8)cycloalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms, OH, oxo, SH, NH 2, NO 2, CN, CON(R 5) 2, NHCOR 5, COR 5, CO 2 R 5, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfanyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkyl, (C 1 -C 6)haloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6)alkoxy and (C 1 -C 6)haloalkoxy; A - is a physiologically acceptable anion;