Steffimycin is a potent inhibitor of DNA dependent-RNA synthesis patented by Upjohn Co. as an antibiotic. Steffimycin interferes with amino acid incorporation mediated by synthetic polyribonucleotides in cell-free bacterial systems. This inhibition is a secondary activity of the antibiotic, which acts primarily as a suppressor of RNA synthesis in bacteria and bacterial cell-free systems. Inhibition of peptide biosynthesis is apparent only at a drug concentration higher than that necessary for inhibition of RNA synthesis in cell-free systems. In addition to antibiotic activity vs certain gram-positive organisms, Steffimycin inhibits the growth of KB cells and several fungi and shows antiviral activity against herpes simplex in mice

Brostallicin is a DNA minor groove binder which has shown very promising preclinical activity against a variety of human tumors both in vitro and in vivo. Brostallicin shows potent in vitro cytotoxic activity against tumor cells with IC50 values in the low nanomolar range, circumvents resistance to alkylating agents and camptothecins. Brostallicin has broad antitumor activity in animal models. A clear therapeutic gain is observed in preclinical models when brostallicin is combined with anticancer agents such as cisplatin, doxorubicin, and taxotere.

Carubicin (also known as Carminomycin) is an anthracycline antineoplastic antibiotic isolated from the bacterium Actinomadura carminata. Carubicin intercalates into DNA and interacts with topoisomerase II, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and repair and RNA and protein synthesis. The drug is active against a variety of experimental tumors. Pharmacology studies in animals revealed that the drug bound largely to serum proteins and that it was widely distributed. In clinical trials The main toxic effect was myelosuppression but gastrointestinal intolerance and alopecia were also reported. Objective partial responses were seen in two of seven previously untreated patients with non-small cell lung cancer and one of three patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck previously untreated with chemotherapy.

Temperocol is an investigative anti-cancer drug that inhibits the expression of survivin and CDK-1; discovered at Johns Hopkins University and under development by Erimos Pharmaceuticals. It has been tested in phase I/II clinical trials for Leukemia, and several forms of neoplasms including gliomas. Results of these clinical trials have shown promise, however treatment regimes produce several toxic side effects that need to be balanced against efficacy. Temperocol is a fully methylated derivative of the natural product Nordihydroguaiaretic acid.

Bizelesin (previously known as U-77779 or NSC 615291), a cyclopropylpyrroloindole antitumor agent acts as a bifunctional alkylating agent and produces DNA interstrand cross-links. This drug participated in phase I clinical trials in patients with advanced solid malignancies, however further development was discontinued.

Medorubicin is an antineoplastic agent.

Teloxantrone (also known as DuP 937) was developed as an anthrapyrazole intercalator that inhibits DNA synthesis. Teloxantrone interacts with topoisomerase II, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and repair, as well as RNA and protein synthesis. The drug participated in phase II clinical trials in colorectal carcinoma, in non-small cell lung cancer, in metastatic malignant melanoma. However, these studied apparently were discontinued.

Nortopixantrone (BBR-3438), a member of the 9-aza-anthrapyrazole family, is a DNA topoisomerase inhibitor potentially designed for the treatment of gastric cancer, ovarian cancer. BR 3438 exhibited a unique profile of preclinical activity with a superior efficacy against prostatic carcinoma models compared to reference compounds (doxorubicin and losoxantrone). Nortopixantrone had been in phase II clinical trials with Novuspharma for the treatment of gastric cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. But this research was discontinued in 2002.

Leurubicin was developed as a prodrug of doxorubicin (Dox) with the aim of lowering the cardiotoxicity and improving the therapeutic index produced by Dox. Antineoplastic agent Dox was rapidly formed from leurubicin, reaching peak levels in plasma within 5 min and in tissues within 1 h after i.v. administration of leurubicin. The incorporation of leurubicin into the MES-SA human uterine sarcoma cell line and its Dox resistant counterpart, MES-SA/Dx5 cell line and the subsequent transformation of leurubicin into Dox and its subcellular distribution, were investigated. In both cell lines the cellular uptakes of Dox and leurubicin were similar at equimolar doses, while the percent transformation of leurubicin into Dox in MES-SA/Dx5 cells was about twice as great as its transformation in MES-SA cells, which is beneficial for reaching Dox cytotoxic levels in this resistant cell line. The highest Dox/ leurubicin ratio was found in the nuclear fraction, followed by the ratio in the low density organelle fraction that contains lysosomes, organelles in which lysosomal hydrolytic enzymes, capthesins, transform leurubicin into Dox.

Nemorubicin, a doxorubicin derivative, is a DNA-intercalator, topoisomerase and RNA synthesis inhibitor that was undergoing development with Nerviano Medical Sciences (Nerviano MS; formerly Pharmacia Italia) for the treatment of solid tumours, specifically, the loco-regional treatment of primary liver tumours (hepatocellular carcinoma). The drug is active on tumors resistant to alkylating agents, topoisomerase II inhibitors and platinum derivatives. It works primarily through topoisomerase I inhibition. Of note, Nemorubicin is active in cells with upregulation of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, where current therapies fail. Nemorubicin is biotransformed in the liver into cytotoxic metabolites that may further contribute to render this drug highly active against primary liver tumors or liver metastases. Clinical trials were conducted in Europe, US and China with Nemorubicin given at different dose-schedules and by different routes of administration: as single agent by systemic IV route, oral route and by intra-hepatic artery (IHA) infusion alone or in combination with cisplatin.