Antibacterial products

1. A compound of formula IA,

or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt, solvate or clathrate thereof, wherein:

R 1 represents H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 acyl, benzyl or benzoyl;

AA 1 , AA 2 and AA 5 to AA 7 each independently represents a proteinogenic or non-proteinogenic amino acid;

AA 3 and AA 4 each independently represents a proteinogenic or non-proteinogenic amino acid, diaminopropanoic acid, diaminobutanoic acid, or ornithine;

R 8 represents hydrogen or C 1-4 alkyl;

R 9a , represents a proteinogenic or non-proteinogenic amino acid side chain, —CH 2 —NH 2 , —(CH 2 ) 2 —NH 2 or —(CH 2 ) 3 —NH 2 ;

R 10a represents a side chain of an amino acid selected from the group consisting of valine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, a hydrophobic non-proteinogenic amino acid side chain, hydrogen, or R 10a is linked to the adjacent nitrogen atom to form a proline ring;

R 11a represents a proteinogenic or non-proteinogenic amino acid side chain;

Z is —O— or —NH—;

optionally wherein the compound of formula IA is covalently bonded to a delivery agent, which is either capable of covalently bonding to one or more structures on a bacterial cell membrane or comprises a hydrophilic portion capable of otherwise binding to one or more structures on a bacterial cell membrane.

2. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein AA 1 represents a D-phenylalanine residue, AA 2 represents an L-isoleucine residue, AA 5 represents a D-allo-isoleucine or D-isoleucine residue, AA 6 represents an L-isoleucine residue, and AA 7 represents an L-serine residue.

3. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery agent is a fragment of formula II,

wherein D represents a dendrimer fragment to which the X 2 groups shown are attached, X 2 represents —NH 2 , boronic acid or a boronic acid derivative; and n is 2 or more (e.g. from 2 to 20); and

wherein the wavy line indicates the point of attachment to the compound of formula IA;

or wherein the delivery agent is a polypeptide or polypeptide derivative, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, which polypeptide or polypeptide derivative contains at least two residues selected from the group consisting of arginine and lysine.

4. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery agent comprises one or more functional groups, which are independently selected from the list consisting of boronic acids, boronic acid derivatives, primary amines, amidines, guanidines, amides, ureas, and acid addition salts thereof.

5. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery agent is a fragment of any one of formula III to VIII

wherein D 1 to D 6 each represent a dendrimer fragment to which the groups shown in parentheses are attached; Y represents O, NH or S; each n1 is 2 or more (e.g. from 2 to 20); m, p, q and r each independently represent from 1 to 8; and R 4 represents a C 1-6 alkyl group; or

wherein the delivery agent is a fragment of formula IXa, IXb or X;

wherein each L 2 represents an aliphatic linker (e.g. a C 1-6 alkyl chain); D 7 and D 8 independently represent a direct bond or a dendrimer fragment to which the boron-containing groups shown are attached, n2 is 1 or more, and optionally wherein D 7 and D 8 are attached to the boronic acid or boric acid portions of the compound of formula IXa, IXb and X via a linker group.

6. The compound according to claim 5 , wherein the delivery agent is a fragment of any one of formula III to VIII, IXa, IXb or X, and D 1 to D 8 independently represent a dendrimer fragment of any one of formula A to E:

7. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein R 1 represents H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 acyl, benzyl or benzoyl or a delivery agent fragment of formula II to X.

8. A compound selected from the group consisting of:

and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts, solvates and clathrates thereof.

9. A pharmaceutical formulation comprising a compound as defined in claim 1 in combination with a pharmaceutically-acceptable adjuvant, diluent or carrier.

10. A method of treating or preventing a bacterial infection, which method comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a compound as defined in claim 1 to a subject in need thereof.

11. A process for the preparation of a compound of formula IA as defined in claim 1 , which process comprises:

(i) deprotection of a compound of formula IA in which one or more hydroxyl groups are protected with an ether protecting group; in the presence of an acid;

(ii) deprotection of a compound of formula IA in which one or more primary amide groups are protected with a trityl group; in the presence of an acid;

(iii) reaction of a compound of formula XIIIA,

wherein AA 2 to AA 7 and are as defined in claim 1 and are optionally protected; and Z, R 8 , R 9a , R 10a , and R 11a are as defined in claim 1 , in a process comprising the steps of:

a) reacting the compound of formula XIIIA with a compound of formula XIV

wherein R 1 is H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 acyl, benzyl or benzoyl or a delivery agent fragment of formula II to X, R AA1 is the side chain of the desired AA 1 amino acid (optionally in protected form), and PG 1 represents an optional suitable protecting group, and a suitable peptide coupling reagent; followed by

b) removal of the protecting group PG 1 if present; or

(iv) reaction of a compound of formula XVA,

wherein AA 1 to AA 7 are as defined in claim 1 and are optionally protected, Z, R 8 , R 9a , R 10a , and R 11a are as defined in claim 1 , and R 1 is H, C 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 acyl, benzyl or benzoyl or a delivery agent fragment of formula II to X with a suitable peptide coupling agent.

12. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein R 10a represents a side chain of an amino acid selected from the group consisting of valine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, a hydrophobic non-proteinogenic amino acid side chain, or hydrogen.

13. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein R 10a represents a side chain of an amino acid selected from the group consisting of valine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, a hydrophobic non-proteinogenic amino acid side chain selected from the group consisting of C 2-12 alkyl, C 1-12 alkylthiomethyl, phenyl, naphthyl, biphenyl, toluyl, and toluylmethyl, hydrogen, or R 10a is linked to the adjacent nitrogen atom to form a proline ring.

14. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein R 8 represents hydrogen or a methyl group.

15. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein R 9a represents —CH 2 —NH 2 , —(CH 2 ) 2 —NH 2 , —(CH 2 ) 3 —NH 2 , a hydroxy group, an amide functional group (which latter two groups are bound to the remainder of the molecule via a linear, branched, cyclic or part cyclic C 1-8 alkylene group), or the side chain of histidine, lysine, arginine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, norvaline, cyclohexylglycine, cyclohexylalanine, phenylglycine, biphenylglycine, biphenylalanine, naphthylglycine naphthylalanine, serine, threonine, asparagine, or glutamine.

16. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein R 11a represents the side chain of alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, norvaline, cyclohexylglycine, cyclohexylalanine, phenylglycine, biphenylglycine, biphenylalanine, naphthylglycine or naphthylalanine.