Propanoic acid derivatives

A compound of formula (1):

• Ar—X1—Ar1—Z—R
• wherein:
• (1) Ar is a group R1aN(R2)L1Ar2— in which:
• R1a is an optionally substituted imidazolyl, triazolyl, pyridyl, benzimidazolyl or imidazolinyl group;
• R2 is a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted aliphatic, heteroaliphatic, cycloaliphatic, polycycloaliphatic, heterocycloaliphatic, heteropolycycloaliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic group;
• L1 is a —C(R3)(R4)— (where R3 and R4, which may be the same or different, is each a hydrogen atom or a straight or branched C1-6alkyl group), —C(O)—, —C(S)—, —S(O)—, —S(O)2—, —P(O)—, —P(O)(ORa)— (where Ra is a hydrogen atom or a straight or branched C1-6alkyl group) or —P(O)(ORa)O— group;
• and
• Ar2 is an optionally substituted six-membered 1,4-arylene or 1,4-heteroarylene ring;
• or
• (2) Ar is a group R1bAr2 in which R1b is an optionally substituted imidazolyl, triazolyl, pyridyl, benzimidazolyl or imidazolinyl group;
• or
• (3) Ar is a group R1dL1Ar2— in which R1d is an optionally substituted imidazolyl, triazolyl, pyridyl, benzimidazolyl or imidazolinyl group;
• X1 is an —O— or —S— atom or a group selected from —C(O)—, —C(S)—, —S(O)—, —S(O)2—, —N(R5)— (where R5 is a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted straight or branched alkyl group), —C(R5)(R6)— (where R6 is a hydrogen or halogen atom or a straight or branched alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio, aromatic, heteroaromatic, or —(Alk1)mR7 group (in which Alk1 is a C1-3alkylene chain, m is zero or the integer 1 and R7 is a —OH, —SH, —NO2 —CN, —CO2H, —CO2R8 (where R8 is an optionally substituted straight or branched C1-6alkyl group), —SO3H, —SOR8, —SO2R8, —OCO2R8, C(O)H, —C(O)R8, —OC(O)R8, —C(S)R8, —NR9R10 (where R9 and R10, which may be the same or different is each a hydrogen atom or a straight or branched alkyl group), —C(O)N(R9)(R10), —OC(O)N(R9)(R10), —N(R9)C(O)R10, —CSN(R9)(R10), —N(R9)C(S)R10, —SO2N(R9)(R10), —N(R9)SO2R10, —N(R9)C(O)N(R10)(R11) (where R11 is a hydrogen atom or a straight or branched alkyl group), —N(R9)C(S)N(R10)(R11), —N(R9)SO2N(R10)(R11), aromatic group or heteroaromatic group));
• Z is a group —CH(R13)CH2— (in which R13 is an optionally substituted aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, heteroaliphatic, heterocycloaliphatic, aromatic or heteraromatic group), —C(R12a)(R13)—CH(R12b)— (in which R12a and R12b together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a C3-7cycloalkyl group) or —C(R13)═CH—;
• R is a carboxylic acid (—CO2H) or a carboxylic acid ester or amide derivative or a tetrazole, squaric acid, phosphoric acid, sulphonic acid, sulphinic acid or boronic acid biostere thereof;
• Ar1 is a 6-membered nitrogen-containing aromatic monocycle of formula:
• and the salts, solvates, hydrates and N-oxides thereof.