Dimeric avermectin and milbemycin derivatives

A compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:

• wherein:
• A is a single or double bond;
• B is a single or double bond;
• R1 and R5 are independently hydrogen, hydroxyl, oxo, oximino or alkoxyimino, provided that R1 is hydroxyl only when A is a single bond, and that R5 is hydroxyl only when B is a single bond;
• R2 and R6 are independently linear or branched C1-C8 alkyl, C2-C8 alkenyl, or C3-Ca cycloalkyl;
• R3 and R7 are independently hydroxyl, methoxy, oxo, hydroximino, or alkoxyimino;
• R4 and R8 are independently hydrogen, hydroxyl, C1-C8 alkanoyloxy, benzoyloxy, di-C1-C8 alkylamino benzoyloxy, (C1-C8 alkoxy)p, C1-C8 alkylthio, C1-C8 alkylthioalkoxy or oleandrosyloxy;
• R9 and R10 are independently diradical groups selected from a bond, O, NR11, —NR11C(═O)—, —NR11C(═S)—, —NR11C(═O)O—, —ONR11C(═O)—, —ONR11C(═O)O—, —ONR11C(═O)NR11—, —OC(═O)O—, —N(R11)C(═O)N(R11)—, —N(R11)C(═S)N(R11)—, —N(R11)S(O)2N(R11)—, —N(R11)S(O)2—, —N(R11)S(O)N(R11)—, —N(R11)S(O)—, —C(═NR11)—, —C(═O)—, —C(═O)N(R11)—, and —C(═S)N(R11)—;
• R11 is H or R2;
• L is a diradical linker selected from a bond, C1-C20 alkylene, C2-C20 alkenylene, C2-C20 alkynylene, C3-C8 cycloalkylene, arylene, aryloxy arylene, heteroarylene, or any combination thereof, which may optionally contain a N, O, S, P, or Si atom;
• and
• wherein said linker may optionally be substituted with one or more groups selected from cyano, nitro, hydroxy, halogen, O, N, S, C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, C1-C6 thioalkyl, oxo, oximino, and alkoxyimino;
• m and n are independently 0, 1, or 2;
• and
• p is 1-3;
• wherein R9 and R10 may be connected to any two atoms of linker L.