Abstract: Oxazole- and thiazole-alkanoic acid compounds useful as drugs for the treatment of atherosclerosis with lipid metabolism disorder, and having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group, a pyridylmethyl group or a tocopheryl group; each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a nitro group, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a trifuloromethyl group; each of X and Y is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; and A is a straight or branched alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are disclosed.