This invention relates to a peptide or polypeptide (a) which is esterified or thio-esterified (i) at the carboxylate of the C-terminus with a guanidinium alkanol, a guanidinium alkanethiol, a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and having a free hydroxyl group, or a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and a sulfhydryl group (ii) at a side-chain carboxylate of one or more Asp or Glu residues, if present, with a guanidinium alkanol, a guanidinium alkanethiol, a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and having a free hydroxyl group, or a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and a sulfhydryl group (iii) at a hydroxyl group of one or more Ser, Thr or Tyr residues, if present, with a guanidinium alkanoic acid or a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and a carboxyl group (iv) at a sulfhydryl group of one or more Cys residues, if present, with a guanidinium alkanoic acid or a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and a carboxyl group and/or (v) at the N-terminus with a guanidinium alkanoic acid or a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and a carboxyl group, wherein said N-terminus is previously amidated with an alpha- or beta-hydroxy acid, and wherein the ester is formed between the hydroxy group of said alpha- or beta-hydroxy acid and the carboxylic group of said guanidinium alkanoic acid or said PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and a carboxyl group and/or (b) which contains one or more disulfides, the disulfide being formed between the sulfhydryl group of a Cys reside, if present, and a guanidinium alkanethiol or a PEG substituted with a guanidinium group and a sulfhydryl group.
