Patent ID: 7396523

Claim:
A radioactive transition metal-imido hetero-diphosphine complex compound of formula (I): [(Me═N—R)L 1 L 2 ] + Z − (I), wherein: Me is a radioactive transition metal selected from the group consisting of 99m Tc, 186 Re, 188 Re; R is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl, propenyl, butenyl, pentenyl, phenyl, benzyl, tolyl, 4-methoxy-benzyl, 4-ethoxy-benzyl, and salicyl, wherein R is substituted with a biologically active substance, said substance being a catecholamine selected from the group consisting of dopamine, L-DOPA, 3-hydroxytyramine, optionally conjugated, via peptide bond, to another biologically active substance selected from the group consisting of sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, hormones, peptides, and catecholamines; L 1 is a tridentate hetero-diphosphine ligand of formula (II): wherein: R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 , which may be the same or different, are: a C 1 -C 15 linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl residue optionally interrupted by —O—, —S—, —N(R′)—, where R′═H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl, and/or optionally substituted with halogen, hydroxy, C 1 -C 5 alkoxy, carboxy, ester, thiol, primary or secondary amino or amido, groups, or a phenyl or an aryl residue, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 being optionally substituted with a biologically active substance, wherein said biologically active substance is selected among sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, hormones, peptides and catecholamines, said catecholamines being optionally conjugated, via peptidic bond, to another of the above mentioned biologically active substances; X is oxygen, sulphur, NR 5 , wherein R 5 is: hydrogen, a C 1 -C 15 linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl residue optionally interrupted by —O—, —S—, —N(R′)—, where R′═H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl, and/or optionally substituted with halogen, hydroxy, C 1 -C 5 alkoxy, carboxy, ester, thiol, primary or secondary amino or amido groups, or a phenyl or an aryl residue, R 5 being optionally substituted with a biologically active substance, wherein said biologically active substance is selected among sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, hormones, peptides, catecholamines, said catecholamines being optionally conjugated, via peptidic bond, to another of the above mentioned biologically active substances; n is an integer ranging from 1 to 5; L 2 is a bidentate ligand, which comprises a combination of two donor atoms, selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulphur and nitrogen, said atoms being preferably negatively charged and being separated by a spacer of 2 to 4 members, said spacer being an aliphatic chain or part of an aromatic ring, L 2 being optionally conjugated to a biologically active substance as above defined; Z − is a mononegative counter-ion selected from the group consisting of Cl − , Br − , OH − , ClO 4 − , EtO − , tetrafluoroborate.