Patent ID: 7989416

Claim:
A compound of the formula: wherein: -X1-X2- represent -Leu-Val-, -Val-Val- or -Leu-Ile-; Y is —S— or —S(O)—; Z is either —NH 2 or an amino acid; and R represents the group —OH or —NR 1 R 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 independently represent: (i) hydrogen; (ii) a group of formula —(CH 2 ) n —NR 3 R 4 , in which n represents an integer from 2 to 8 and R 3 and R 4 independently represent hydrogen or (C 1 -C 4 ) alkyl, or R 3 and R 4 taken together represent —(CH 2 ) 3 —, —(CH 2 ) 4 —, (CH 2 ) 2 —O—(CH 2 ) 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 2 —S—(CH 2 ) 2 — or —(CH 2 ) 5 —; or R 1 and R 2 taken together with the adjacent nitrogen atom represent a piperazine which may be substituted in position 4 with a substituent selected from: (a) (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl; (b) (C 5 -C 7 )-cycloalkyl, (c) pyridyl, (d) —(CH 2 ) p —NR 5 R 6 in which p represents an integer from 1 to 8 and R 5 and R 6 independently represent hydrogen or (C 1 -C 4 ) alkyl, (e) piperidinyl, (f) substituted piperidinyl, wherein the substituted piperidinyl bears a N-substituent which is (C 1-4 )alkyl, (g) benzyl, and (h) substituted benzyl, wherein a phenyl therein bears 1 or 2 substituents selected from chloro, bromo, nitro, (C 1 -C 4 )alkyl and (C 1 -C 4 )alkoxy; or a biologically active variant thereof wherein 1, 2, 3 or 4 amino acids at positions 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13 or 18 are substituted by another amino acid, and the another amino acid is a naturally occurring amino acid or its D-isoform, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said compound or variant.