Also called platinum salts or metal salts. These are alkylating agents.  Cisplatin is one of the most widely used chemotherapy medicines, so ubiquitous that it earned the nickname “the penicillin of cancer”.  Carboplatin is considered a second-generation platinum agent, designed to have less severe side effects.  Oxaliplatin is sometimes called a third-generation agent, although some classify it as a second-generation agent.  These drugs are cell-cycle non-specific and have biochemical activity no matter which reproductive phase the cell is in.

Cisplatin

Brand/Trade Names: Platinol, Cisplatinum, cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)

Manufacturers: Hospira, Tecoland, Laboratorium Ofichem B.V., Johnson Matthey, Teva Pharmaceuticals

Formula:  H₆C_l2N₂Pt

Mechanism: Alkylating

Class: Platinum salt

Administration: Intravenous

Notes: The “penicillin of cancer”. Approved by the FDA in 1978.  One of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs.  Formally approved for bladder cancer, testicular cancer, and ovarian cancer, but often used off-label.

Carboplatin

Brand/Trade Names: Paraplatin, cis-Diammine(1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II)

Manufacturers: Johnson Matthey, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Cipla, Degussa AG Werk Radebeul

Formula: C₆H₁₂N₂O₄Pt or C₆H₁₄N₂O₄Pt

Mechanism: Alkylating

Class: Platinum salt

Administration: Intravenous

Notes: Approved by the FDA in 1989.   Used for ovarian cancer and many of the same cancers and in similar regimens to cisplatin.  

Oxaliplatin

Brand/Trade Names: Eloxatin, [(1R,2R)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine](ethanedioato-O,O’)platinum(II)

Manufacturers: Aspire Lifesciences Pvt Ltd  Berr Chemical Company Ltd  Biesterfeld Spezialchemie GmbH  Biotechnica Pharma Global  ChemGenix Laboratories Pvt Ltd

Formula: C₈H₁₄N₂O₄Pt

Mechanism: Alkylating

Class: Platinum salt

Administration: Intravenous

Notes: Approved by the FDA in 2004.  Used for treatment of colorectal cancer.