Pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one compound of the formulas (Ia)or (Ib) or (IIa) or (IIb) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier wherein thesymbols and substituents have the following meaning -X- is e.g. and Y being e.g.or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts can be applied to modulate the in- vitroand in- vivo binding processes mediated by E-, P- or L-selectin binding.