Bisbiguanide compounds

A bisguanide compound of the formula:

• R.sup.1 R.sup.2 N.C(:NR.sup.6)NH.C(:NH)NH.CH.sub.2 X--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 NH.C(:NH)NH.C(:NR.sup.7)NR.sup.3 R.sup.4 V
• or a tautomer thereof, wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 which may be the same or different, are each hydrogen, a 1-16C alkyl radical, a 2-16C alkoxyalkyl radical, a 3-12C cycloalkyl radical, a (3-12C cycloalkyl)-(1-4C alkyl) radical, or an optionally substituted phenyl or phenyl(1-4C alkyl) radical, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 and the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, or R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 and the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, which may be the same or different, are each a 1-azetidinyl, 1-pyrrolidinyl, piperidiono, hexamethyleneimino, heptamethyleneimino, morpholino or 4-(1-8C alkanoyl)-1-piperazinyl radical each of which may bear 1-3C alkyl substituents;
• each of R.sup.6 and R.sup.7, which may be the same or different, is hydrogen or a 1-8C alkyl radical;
• and X is an ethylene or ethylidene radical of the formula:
• --CH.sub.2 CH(YR.sup.5)-- VI
• or
• --CH(CH.sub.2 YR.sup.5)-- VII
• reading from left to right in formula V above, wherein Y is an oxgyen or sulphur atom and R.sup.5 is a 1-16C alkyl, 3-12C cycloalkyl, (3-12C cycloalkyl)-(1-4C alkyl), optionally substituted phenyl or optionally substituted phenyl(1-4C alkyl) radical, wherein when any of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 is or contains a substituted phenyl radical, the substituents(s) thereon are selected from the group consisting of halogen atoms and amino, carbamoyl, cyano, hydroxy, nitro and trifluoromethyl radicals, 1-6C alkyl, alkoxy, alkanoyl, alkylaminio and alkanoylamino radicals and 2-6C alkoxycarbonyl and dialkylamino radicals and the acid addition salts thereof.