Terpenes with Antitumor Activity: A Patent Review

Background: Cancer is a major public health concern, and is one of the leading causes of death globally. Surgical removal, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of them are treatment for cancer, many of which are ineffective or have serious side effects. In view of this, there is a search for new, more effective alternatives for cancer prevention and treatment. One possible source of compounds are natural products; among them, terpenes, a large class of organic compounds, have shown promise due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorigenic, and hypolipidemic properties, among others recorded in the literature. Objective: The study aims to use a patent review to evaluate the development and use of terpenes, or formulations containing terpenes, in new therapeutic options for the treatment of various types of cancer. Methods: This patent review was carried out using the specialized patent databases of WIPO and Espacenet. The selection of patents was based on the following inclusion criteria which included pre-clinical and/or clinical trials, and demonstrated anti-tumor effects. Results: Eight patents were identified, six from China, and two from Japan. In this review, all patents confirmed having good antitumor activity for many types of cancer cells. In addition, the inventors indicate more studies pre-clinical and clinical trials giving greater clarity and accurate reflection of the activity of the products studied. Conclusion: Natural products are an important source of compounds for use in the fight against cancer that can act synergistically, and help in the treatment of cancer.