The invention relates to novel bilaterally-substituted tricyclic compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing them, for use as medicaments. Due to their ability to interact with an internal RNA loop and to mimic a protein α-helix these compounds are effective in the treatment and/or prevention of HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1) infection and other diseases such as those caused by other RNA viruses and by gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, or infectious or chronic diseases responsive to inhibition of DNA transcription, or infectious or chronic diseases where these compounds can be used to modulate the function of RNA internal loops, or infectious or chronic diseases where these compounds can be used as agonists or inhibitors of α-helical proteins in interaction with other biomolecules.