Ferrocene-based Drug Molecules in Medicinal Chemistry: Comprehensive Insights into their Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Emerging Therapeutic Applications

Introduction: Ferrocene, which was a milestone organometallic compound discovered in 1951, remains of interest in medicinal chemistry due to its exceptional stability, redox activity, and ease of functionalization, etc. A variety of pharmacological activities were observed for the Ferrocene derivatives, and several reviews have appeared highlighting the increasing applications of Ferrocene in bio-organometallic chemistry. Novel ferrocene-conjugates of betulin, artemisinin, steroids, and alkaloids were reported, which showed enhanced biological potential. Notably, ferroquine is still in Phase IIb clinical trials, and a number of ferrocene-based anticancer agents demonstrate activity against multidrug resistance. Ferrocene, thus, is an ideal scaffold for next-generation therapeutics with unique structural and redox properties that will overcome current limitations of drug scaffolds. Methods: The methodology consists of a thorough literature survey of chemistry, structural modifications, pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and future prospects of c