Sulfoxides in medicine

Area of Science:

• Medicinal Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Sulfoxides represent a significant class of compounds with diverse pharmaceutical applications.
• Natural and synthetic sulfoxides are increasingly explored for therapeutic potential.
• Understanding their properties is crucial for developing new drug candidates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of the current pharmaceutical market status of sulfoxide-containing drugs.
• To highlight the therapeutic potential of natural sulfoxides, such as sulforaphane and amanitin.
• To discuss the application of sulfoxides in drug repositioning and chiral switch strategies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific articles and patents.
• Analysis of current pharmaceutical market data for sulfoxide drugs.
• Case studies on specific sulfoxide compounds and their applications.

Main Results:

• Natural sulfoxides like sulforaphane and amanitin show promise, with amanitin used in antibody-drug conjugates for cancer treatment.
• Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) use in medicine is discussed, including associated controversies.
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) benefit from chiral switch strategies, utilizing pure enantiomers.
• Drug repositioning identified new applications for modafinil and sulindac.
• Cenicriviroc and adezmapimod are presented as promising drug candidates.

Conclusions:

• Sulfoxides encompass a wide range of therapeutic applications, from natural products to synthetic drugs.
• Chiral switch and drug repositioning are viable strategies for optimizing sulfoxide-based therapies.
• Emerging drug candidates like cenicriviroc and adezmapimod highlight the continued importance of sulfoxides in drug development.