Importance of the field: Abnormalities in protein phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) have been observed in numerous major human diseases, which has strongly encouraged the search for pharmacological inhibitors. Almost 10 years after the first compounds entered clinical studies, numerous CDK inhibitors with differing selectivity profiles are now undergoing preclinical and clinical evaluation. Nevertheless, these intensive searches have not yet resulted in drug approvals.
Areas covered in this review: This paper reviews patent activity associated with these efforts during the 2005 - 2008 period.
What the reader will gain: Readers will rapidly obtain an overview of the majority of CDK inhibitor scaffolds; they will discover which companies are the main players in the field and acquire information on products that have reached the clinical phases.
Take home message: In most cases, applications have been claimed in the field of cancer; however, potential applications of CDK inhibitors in other therapeutic areas are regularly reported and could herald therapeutic introduction over the next few years.