Styryl benzylsulfones of formula I are useful as ant-proliferative agents, including, for example, anticancer agents. In formula I: (a) (i) R 1 , R 2 , R 4 and R 5 are hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy) or trifluoromethyl (ii) R 3 is hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy) or trifluoromethyl, provided at least three of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are other than hydrogen and (iii) R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy) or trifluoromethyl or (b) (i) R 6 , R 8 and R 10 are halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy) or trifluoromethyl, and R 7 and R 9 are hydrogen and (ii) R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy), or trifluoromethyl or (c) (i) at least four of R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy) or trifluoromethyl, and the remainder of R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy) or trifluoromethyl and (ii) R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are hydrogen, halogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phosphonato, amino, sulfamyl, acetoxy, dimethylamino(C2-C6 alkoxy), or trifluoromethyl or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
