Heterocyclic and benzoheterocyclic polyamides structurally related to the natural antibiotic distamycin A for the treatment of β-thalassaemia

A method of treating β-thalassemia, comprising:

• administering as a medicament, to a patient suffering from β-thalassemia, a structural analogue of distamycin selected from the group consisting of:
• compounds of formula (I):
• in which:
• n is an integer selected from 2, 3 and 4,
• R is 4-[(ZCH2CH2)2N]C6H4CONH, and
• Z is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I;
• compounds of formula (II):
• in which:
• n is an integer selected from 0 (zero), 1 and 2,
• Z is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I,
• A, B, C and D are each CH,
• X1, X2, X3 and X4 are each CH;
• compounds of formula (III):
• in which:
• n is an integer selected from 2, 3 and 4,
• T is selected from the group consisting of 4-[(ZCH2CH2)2N]C6H4CONH,(ZCH2CH2)2N, and
• CH2=CZCONH,
• Z is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, F and I,
• E is selected from the group consisting of O (oxygen), S and NR1,
• R1 is H or CH3, and
• G is CH or N;
• compounds of formula (IV):
• in which:
• n is an integer selected from 1, 2, 3 and 4;
• T is selected from the group consisting of 4-[(ZCH2CH2)2N]C6H4CONH, (ZCH2CH2)2N, and
• CH2=CZCONH;
• Z is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I;
• A is selected from the group consisting of O (oxygen), S and NR1;
• R1 is linear or branched alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• B is CH or N;
• compounds of formula (V):
• in which:
• R1 and R2 are selected independently of one another from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear or branched alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, nitrile (CN) and hydroxyl (OH), or R1 and R2 form, in combination with one another, a linear alkyl chain —(CH2)m —in which m is 2 or 3;
• and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts.