Camptothecin antitumor agents.
The discovery of the natural product 20(S)-Camptothecin as a highly promising anticancer lead compound in the early 1960s; the identification of topoisomerase I as the molecular target of camptothecin compounds almost 20 years later; the approval and clinical success of irinotecan and topotecan as the first representatives of this novel class of chemotherapeutics another decade later; and the recent efforts to improve drug potency, stability, bioavailability and tumor selectivity: this is the story of camptothecin antitumor agents which will be reviewed.
Lerchen
H G
HG
Bayer AG, Central Research, Building Q18, 51368 Leverkusen, Germany. HANS-GEORG.LERCHEN.HL@bayer-ag.de