Brivudine (trade names Zostex, Mevir, Brivir, among others) is an antiviral drug used in the treatment of herpes zoster ("shingles"). Brivudine is an analog of the nucleoside thymidine. The active compound is brivudine 5'-triphosphate, which is formed in subsequent phosphorylations by viral (but not human) thymidine kinase and presumably by the nucleoside-diphosphate kinase. Brivudine 5'-triphosphate works because it is incorporated into the viral DNA, but then blocks the action of DNA polymerases, thus inhibiting viral replication. Brivudine is used for the treatment of herpes zoster in adult patients. It is taken orally once daily, in contrast to aciclovir, valaciclovir, and other antivirals. A study has found that it is more effective than aciclovir, but this has been disputed because of a possible conflict of interest on part of the study authors. The drug is contraindicated in patients undergoing immunosuppression (for example because of an organ transplant) or cancer therapy, especially with fluorouracil (5-FU) and chemically related (pro)drugs such as capecitabine and tegafur, as well as the antimycotic drug flucytosine, which is also related to 5-FU. It has not been proven to be safe for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. The drug is generally well tolerated. The only common side effect is nausea (in 2% of patients). Less common side effects (<1%) include a headache, increased or lowered blood cell counts (granulocytopenia, anemia, lymphocytosis, monocytosis), increased liver enzymes, and allergic reactions. Brivudine is approved for use in a number of European countries including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.

TAT-59 (Miproxifene Phosphate) is a triphenylethylene analog of tamoxifen. TAT-59 is the phosphate ester prodrug of the practically insoluble parent drug DP-TAT-59. It is an antiestrogen developed in Japan for breast cancer. It is a potent antitumor agent for hormone-dependent tumors. Most of TAT-59 metabolites possessed remarkable binding affinity toward estrogenic receptors as well as fairly good antiuterotrophic activity.

Alfatradiol (17a-estradiol, Ell-Cranell® alpha) is a stereoisomer of the female hormone 17b-estradiol. It inhibits the conversion of testosterone to the metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by suppressing 5a-reductase activity. In addition, by inhibiting 17b-dehydrogenase, it impedes the conversion process of androstenedione to testosterone, resulting in a reduction in the syntheses of testosterone and DHT. It also accelerates the conversion of testosterone to estradiol by stimulating aromatase, decreasing the level of testosterone and leading to a reduction in DHT. In addition, alfatradiol (17a-estradiol) has been reported to stimulate the generation of hair follicular matrix cells.

Stallimycin also known as distamycin A is an antibacterial and antitumor compound. It is able to bind to the minor groove of double-stranded B-DNA in a non intercalative manner, where it forms strong reversible complex preferentially at the nucleotide sequences consisting of 4-5 adjacent AT base pairs. The pyrrole-amide skeleton of distamycin A has been also used as DNA sequence selective vehicles for the delivery of alkylating functions to DNA targets, leading to a sharp increase of its cytotoxicity, in comparison to that, very weak, of distamycin itself.

Aplidin (plitidepsin) is an investigative anticancer agent under development by PharmaMar, a pharmaceutical company that commercializes anticancer drugs of marine origin. Aplidin is isolated from the sea squirt (Aplidium albicans) and has shown anti-myeloma activity even in myelomas resistant to other agents. The drug has received orphan drug designation in the U.S., the European Union, and Switzerland. The target of plitidepsin is the eEF1A2 protein. The bonding of plitidepsin to this protein blocks its pro-oncogenic property and impedes the transportation of the misfolded proteins, which are toxic to the tumor, to the proteasome for their destruction. It also inhibits the activation of the aggresome by eEF1A2 and the destruction of the aggresome in the lysosome. This provokes anexcess of misfolded proteins, this causing cell death through apoptosis. Recently, a Phase III randomized trial in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma reported outcomes for plitidepsin plus dexamethasone compared with dexamethasone. Median progression-free survival was 3.8 months in the plitidepsin arm and 1.9 months in the dexamethasone arm. However, on 14 December 2017, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a negative opinion, recommending the refusal of the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product Aplidin, intended for the treatment of multiple myeloma. At the time of the initial review, the CHMP was concerned that the data from the main study showed only a modest increase of around one month in the time patients given Aplidin lived without their disease getting worse, compared with those treated with dexamethasone alone. In addition, improvement in overall survival (how long patients lived overall) was not sufficiently demonstrated. Regarding safety, severe side effects were reported more frequently with the combination of Aplidin and dexamethasone than with dexamethasone alone. Based on the above, the CHMP was of the opinion that the benefits of Aplidin did not outweigh its risks and recommended that it be refused marketing authorisation.After re-examination, the Committee remained of the same opinion. The CHMP therefore confirmed its recommendation that the marketing authorisation be refused.

Cediranib (AZD-2171) is a VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitor which was developed by AstraZeneca for the treatment of cancer. The drug reached the final stage of approval by European Medicines Agency in 2008 under the name Zemfirza (it was recommended to be taken in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy), however on 19 September 2016 AstraZeneca decided to withdraw the Marketing Authorisation Application.

Olmutinib is a novel third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor, used in the treatment of T790M mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer. Olmutinib covalently binds a cysteine residue near the kinase domain of mutant EGFRs to prevent phosphorylation of the receptor. EGFRs are frequently over-expressed in lung cancer and contribute to activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways which both promote cell survival and proliferation. By inhibiting EGFR activation, Olmutinib attenuates the activation of these tumor-promoting pathways. In the first phase I/II clinical study of Osimertinib, 800 mg/ day was chosen as the dose for subsequent studies, and the dose-limiting toxicity and maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Olmutinib received breakthrough therapy designation in the United States in December 2015 and was approved for use in Korea in May 2016.

Bisantrene was classed as an anthracycline chemotherapeutic agent. It inhibits replication, kills tumor cells in clonogenic assays, and intercalates with DNA, where it inhibits both DNA and RNA synthesis. Bisantrene preferentially binds to A-T rich regions of DNA, where it effects changes to supercoiling and initiates strand breaks in association with DNA-associated proteins. This results from the inhibition of the enzyme topoisomerase II, which relaxes DNA coiling during replication and transcription. Toxicity studies in dogs and monkeys revealed that leukopenia, anorexia, diarrhea injection site necrosis, enterocolitis, muscle degeneration, and pulmonary edema were observed with high doses. Bisantrene was found to have less associated cardiotoxicity than other anthracenes. The existing data for bisantrene clearly demonstrated activity in acute myeloid leukemia, and in other indications including lymphoma, refractory breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Nimustine is one of nitrosoureas used in the treatment of cancer. Nimustine alkylates and crosslinks DNA, thereby causing DNA fragmentation, inhibition of protein synthesis, and cell death. It is used in the treatment of brain tumor (in particular, high-grade gliomas), gastrointestinal cancers (stomach cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer), lung cancer, malignant lymphoma, chronic leukemia. Nimustine side effects are: leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypoproteinemia, anemia, Increased bleeding, proteinuria, interstitial pneumonia, anorexia, stomatitis, nausea, vomiting, general weakness, fever, headache, dizziness, seizures, alopecia, allergic reactions (rash).

Pirarubicin is a new kind of anthracene nucleus broad-spectrum antitumor antibiotic. This compound was rapidly incorporated into tumor cells, inhibiting DNA polymerase alpha, DNA topoisomerase II and subsequently DNA synthesis. Inhibition of RNA synthesis was also noted. It is indicated as an antineoplastic agent for the treatment of the following diseases: head and neck cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, urothelial cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, acute leukemia, malignant lymphoma. Among the side effects, cardiac toxicity, alopecia and disturbance of the digestive organs were mild.