The antitumor activity of oxoplatinum

A coordination complex cis-dichlorodiamminedihydroxoplatinum (IV) (oxoplatinum) was first synthesized in the USSR by Chugaev and Khlopin in 1927 [3]. Its marked antitumor properties were revealed by one of the authors of this article at the All-Union Cancer Research Center of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. The paper gives data on the antiblastic and side effects of oxoplatinum and also on the results of pharmacokinetic studies of the drug. Particular attention was paid to the similarity and differences of biological properties of oxoplatinum and cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) (DDP) which has found wide use in oncological practice. It has been established that, on principle, oxoplatinum differs from DDP in action on the body and tumors. The new drug is 10 times less toxic than DDP. Oxoplatinum has a wide spectrum of antineoplastic action resulting in marked inhibition of growth of solid and ascitic forms of transplantable tumors. The drug has a longer duration of antitumor effect after the end of the therapeutic course. An important property of oxoplatinum is its high therapeutic index. The new drug manifests high antitumor activity with different ways of its administration into the body. Oxoplatinum in therapeutic doses does not produce necrotic lesions in the kidneys. The new drug exerted no cross-resistance with DDP and the alkylating antitumor agent sarcolysin. At the present time oxoplatinum is undergoing preclinical investigation.