Metallopharmaceutical
Metallopharmaceutical
Drug that contains a metal as an active ingredient
A metallopharmaceutical is a drug that contains a metal as an active ingredient.[1][2] Most commonly metallopharmaceuticals are used as anticancer or antimicrobial agents. The efficiency of metallopharmaceuticals is crucially dependent on the respective trace metal binding forms.[3]
Examples of metallopharmaceuticals include:
- bismuth subsalicylate – a mild anti-diarrheal also used in treating peptic ulcers caused by antibiotic-resistant H. pylori[4][5]
- cisplatin and carboplatin – platinum containing anticancer agents[6][7]
- gold salts such as auranofin – anti-inflammatory for treatment of arthritis[8][9]
- silver sulfadiazine – antibacterial[10][11]
- zinc pyrithione – antibacterial and antifungal[12]