Macrolides and their use

1. A macrolide compound of the formula I:

wherein

R1 is a residue —X-Q;

X is a linear group which linear group consists of hydrogen atoms and from 1 to 7 atoms selected from C, N, O and S, of which from 1 to 2 atoms can be N and one atom can be O or S, one carbon atom can appear as a CO group and the sulfur atom can appear as an SO 2 group and two adjacent C atoms can be present as —CH═CH— or —C≡C— and which linear group is unsubstituted or substituted;

Q is the residue —NR6R7;

W is optionally substituted aryl or heterocyclyl,

A2 is either absent or a C 1 -C 4 alkylene group;

L is —O—, —S—, —SO 2 —, —NH—, —CO—, —(CO)O—, —O(OC)—, —(CO)NH—, —NH(CO)—, —(SO 2 )NH—, —HN(SO 2 )—, —HN(CO)NH—, —O(CO)NH—, —NH(CO)O—, or can also be absent if A2 is present;

R2 is OR2a or

wherein

 represents the linking bond;

R2a is hydrogen;

R3 is hydrogen;

Z is

wherein

 represents the linking bond;

R4 is —OR4a;

R5 is —NR5bR5c; or

R4 taken together with

R5 represent a group —O(CO)NR45-

R4a is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl which can be substituted or unsubstituted and wherein one or more single bonds can be replaced by double and/or triple bonds and where one carbon atom can appear as C═O and up to two atoms can be N, O or S;

R45 is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl;

R5b, R5c independently of one another, are hydrogen, C1-C6alkyl which can be substituted or unsubstituted, and up to two atoms of which can be N, O or S and where one carbon atom can appear as C═O, or —(C═O)heterocyclyl or, taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are linked, form a 4-7 membered-ring of which up to two atoms can be N, O or S and one carbon can appear as C═O;

R6 and R7 are independently selected from the group consisting of optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted heterocyclylalkyl, and -L-A2-W; with the proviso that only one of R6 and R7 is -L-A2-W;

wherein alkyl groups may be substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyloxy or C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, halogen, halogen substituted alkyl groups, cyano, nitro, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkylthio, mercapto, hydroxy, carbamoyl, carboxyl and oxo, and provided that R5 is not a dimethylamino group;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a N-oxide or an in vivo cleavable ester of said compound of formula (I).

2. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein

R4a is C1-C6alkyl or hydrogen.

3. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein

R5 is —NR5bR5c.

4. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein

R4 taken together with

R5 represent a group —O(CO)NR45-.

5. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein R2 is

wherein

 represents the linking bond.

6. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein

R2a is hydrogen.

7. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein W is aryl.

8. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein W is a group of formula

wherein

is a phenyl ring or a x-membered saturated or unsaturated monovalent heterocycloaliphatic or heteroaromatic ring containing from 1 to (x−1) carbon atoms with x being 5 to 8, and from 1 to (x−1), in particular up to 4, hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen, R14 and R15 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyloxy, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl-C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, halogen, halogen-substituted C 1 -C 4 alkyl groups, halogen-substituted C 1 -C 4 alkoxy groups, cyano, nitro, amino, C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, di(C 1 -C 4 )alkylamino, C 1 -C 4 alkylthio, mercapto, hydroxy, carbamoyl, a carboxyl group, and an oxo group; or when both substituents R14 and R15 are located at adjacent carbon atoms of the ring

these two substituents, taken together with said adjacent carbon atoms, can also form a 5- or 6-membered aromatic or a x-membered saturated or unsaturated heterocycloaliphatic or heteroaromatic ring containing from 2 to (x−1) carbon atoms with x being 5 to 8, and from 1 to (x−2), hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen, wherein W can have altogether one to four substituents of the kind as defined for R14 and R15 and the free valence can be located on either ring of the group W.

9. A compound according to claim 8 , wherein

W is a group of one of the formulae

wherein R16 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 4 alkyl.

10. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein W is a group of one of the formulae

11. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein A2 is either absent or a C 1 -C 2 alkylene group; and L is —NH—, —(CO)NH— or —NH(CO)— or is absent.

12. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein

X is —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 — or —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —.

13. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein

R6 is a group of one of the formulae

wherein

 represents a methoxy residue.

14. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein —NR6R7 is a group of one of the following formulae

wherein

 means a methoxy residue.

15. A compound according to claim 1 having one of the formulae

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a N-oxide or an in vivo cleavable ester thereof.

16. A compound according to claim 1 having substantially no antibacterial activity so that it does not create antibiotic resistant bacteria.

17. A medicament comprising a compound according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

18. The compound of claim 1 , wherein X is a linear group consisting of hydrogen atoms and from 1 to 7 carbon atoms or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a N-oxide or an in vivo cleavable ester thereof.

19. The compound of claim 18 wherein said compound has the formula:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a N-oxide or an in vivo cleavable ester thereof.

20. The compound of claim 1 , wherein W is heterocyclyl.

21. The compound of claim 18 wherein said compound has the formula:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a N-oxide or an in vivo cleavable ester thereof.