Succinate prodrugs for use in the treatment of lactic acidosis or drug-induced side-effects due to Complex I-related impairment of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation

1. A method for treating or preventing lactic acidosis, said method comprising administering an effective amount of a succinate prodrug to the subject,

wherein said succinate prodrug is a compound of Formula (I)

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the dotted bond between A and B denotes an optional bond so as to form a ring closed structure, and wherein

Z is —CH 2 —CH 2 —,

A is —SR, and R is

B is selected from the group consisting of —O—R′, —SR′″ and —OH; and R′ is:

R′″ is:

R 1 and R 3 are independently different or identical and are selected from the group consisting of H, Me, Et, propyl, i-propyl, butyl, iso-butyl, and t-butyl,

X is selected from the group consisting of O, NH, and S,

p is an integer and is 1 or 2,

X 5 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —COOH, —C(═O)XR 6 , and CONR 1 R 3 ,

R 6 is selected from the group consisting of H, Me, Et, propyl, i-propyl, butyl, iso-butyl, t-butyl, acetyl, acyl, propionyl, and benzoyl,

R 13 , R 14 and R 15 are independently different or identical and are selected from the group consisting of H, Me, Et, propyl, i-propyl, butyl, iso-butyl, t-butyl, —COOH, O-acyl, O-alkyl, N-acyl, N-alkyl, Xacyl, and CH 2 Xalkyl,

R f , R g and R h are independently different or identical and are selected from the group consisting of Xacyl, —CH 2 Xalkyl, —CH 2 X-acyl and R 9 ,

R 9 is selected from the group consisting of H, Me, Et and O 2 CCH 2 CH 2 COXR 8 , wherein R 8 is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, Me, Et, propyl, i-propyl, butyl, iso-butyl, t-butyl, acetyl, acyl, propionyl, and benzoyl,

alkyl is selected from the group consisting of Me, Et, propyl, i-propyl, butyl, iso-butyl, and t-butyl, and

acyl is selected from the group consisting of formyl, acetyl, propionyl, isopropionyl, butyryl, tert-butyryl, pentanoyl, and benzoyl.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject is suffering from a disease that is treated with a drug substance, which potentially induces lactic acidosis,

the method comprises administering an effective amount of said succinate prodrug to the subject before, during or after treatment with said drug substance.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the drug substance is an anti-diabetic substance.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the anti-diabetic substance is metformin.