Diaminoacid-aminoacid-polyamine based gemini surfactant compounds

A diaminoacid-polyamine:peptide based gemini compound having a diaminoacid-polyamine or a diaminoacid-aminoacid-polyamine backbone and conforming to the general structure of formula (I):

• where:
• m=0 to 6;
• n=0 to 7;
• p=0 to 6;
• and where
• X=a bond, CH2, (CH2)2, NH(CH2)qNH where q=2 to 6, or
• where R9 to R12, which can be the same or different, are selected from H and CrH2r+1, where r=1 to 6;
• and where Y=a bond, CH2,
• and where R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are hydrogen and R1 and R2 are saturated or unsaturated hydrocarboxyl groups having up to 24 carbon atoms and linked to the diaminoacid-polyamine backbone by an amide bond;
• or
• where R3, R4, R5 and R6 are hydrogen, R1 and R2 are saturated or unsaturated hydrocarboxyl groups having up to 24 carbon atoms and linked to the diaminoacid-polyamine backbone by an amide bond, and where R7 and R8, which may be the same or different, are peptide groups linked to the diaminoacid-polyamine backbone by amide bonds, in a linear or branched manner, wherein the peptide groups are represented by the general formula (II):
• where the values for p1 and p2, which may be the same or different, are from 1 to 5;
• and the values for p3 and p4, which may be the same or different, are from 0 to 5;
• A1, A3 and A4, which may be the same or different, is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of serine, lysine, ornithine, threonine, histidine, cysteine, arginine and tyrosine;
• and
• A2 is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of lysine, ornithine and histidine;
• or
• a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.