Pyrridinobenzodiazepine and benzopyrridodiazecine compounds

Abstract

The invention relates to pyrridinobenzodiazepines (PDDs) comprising three fused 6-7- 6-membered rings and to benzopyrridodiazecines (BPDs) comprising three fused 6-8- 6-membered rings and, in particular, to PDD or BPD dimers linked together or PDD and BPD monomers linked to aromatic groups, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which are useful as medicaments, such as anti-proliferative agents. PDDs and BPDs may be represented by formula (I): and salts or solvates thereof, wherein R, R-Rand Rare independently selected substituent groups; and either: (i) Rand Rtogether form a double bond; (ii) Ris H and Ris OH; or (iii) Ris H and Ris ORand Ris Calkyl; wherein each of m, n, u and w may be 0 or 1; where (a) the compound is a dimer with each monomer being the same or different and being of formula (I) where one of R, R, Rand Rof the first monomer and one of R', R′, Rand R′of the second monomer form together a bridge having the formula —X-L-X′— linking the monomers and m+n+u+w=1; or (b) a dimer and one of R, Rand Rof the first monomer and one of R′, R′and Rof the second monomer form together a bridge having the formula —X-L-X′— linking the monomers and m=n=u=w=o; or (c) one of R, R, Rand Rhas the formula: —X-L-X′-D or —(CH)f-O—Rand m+n+u+w=o or 1; or (d) Rhas the formula: —X-L-X′— D or —(CH)—O—and m+n+u+w=1; and X-L-X′— is a linker group and D has the formula (II) or (III).