N-heterocyclic carbene metal complexes as therapeutic agents: a patent review.

Although the first reports on biological applications of NHC metal complexes originate in 2000s, the greatest progress in this area was made only in the past decade. A growing number of patent disclosures indicates that structural design of new NHC metal complexes is crucial for their successful use in both medicine and biochemistry. In the next few years, we expect to see more stable and effective NHC metal complexes as potential therapeutic agents and perhaps in clinical trials.