Compounds binding to p-selectin

A compound with affinity to human P-selectin, which is a derivative of a peptide or a functional equivalent of said peptide represented by X(Ax)mA3A1A2A1Y, wherein:

• A1 is a D- or L-cysteine (C), or a D- or L-valine (V), or an analogue thereof;
• A2 is D- or L-aspartic acid (D) or an analogue thereof;
• A3 is D- or L-phenylalanine (F), or a D- or L-tryptophan (W), or an analogue thereof;
• Ax is D- or L-amino acid, selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid (E), aspartic acid (D), glycine (G) and cysteine (C);
• X marks the N-terminal side of said sequence and is hydrogen or a residue comprising 1 to 6 D- or L-amino acids or analogues thereof;
• Y marks the C-terminal side of said sequence and is —OH or a residue comprising 1 to 11 D- or L-amino acids or analogues thereof;
• wherein X and Y together may form a cyclic system;
• characterized in that at least one of X and Y or X+Y is substituted with the group R1-(Z)n-, wherein:
• -Z is selected from —CO—, —O—, —NR2—, and —CO—NR2— and wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from:
• a) H;
• b) a (C1-C8)alkyl group;
• c) a (C2-C8)alkyl group, wherein at least one C-atom is replaced with a nitrogen, oxygen or sulphur atom;
• d) a (C6-C14)aryl group, which may be substituted with at least one group selected from a halogen, (C1-C6)alkyl, —CF3, —OH, —O—(C1-C6)alkyl, —COOH, —COO—(C1-C6-alkyl), —NO2, —NH2—, —NH—(C1-C6)alkyl, —N—((C1-C6)alkyl)2 and —SO3H;
• e) a heteroroaryl group which is selected from 5- or 6-membered ring systems and benzo-condensed ring systems, and has at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur, wherein said heteroaryl group may be substituted with at least one group selected from the group consisting of a halogen, —(C1-C6)alkyl, —CF3, —OH, —O—(C1-C6)alkyl, —COOH, —COO—(C1-C6)alkyl, —NO2, —NH2, —NH—(C1-C6)alkyl, —N—((C1-C6)alkyl)2 and —SO3H;
• f) an aralkyl group comprising an alkyl group as defined in b) or c) and an aryl group or heteroaryl group as defined in d) or e);
• and wherein m and n are integers independently selected from 0 and 1, with the proviso that n is not 0 when R1 is H.