Iminosugars past, present and future: medicines for tomorrow

Iminosugars comprise the most attractive class of carbohydrate mimetics reported to date and are ideally positioned to take advantage of our increasing understanding of glycobiology in the search for new medicines. First-generation iminosugar drugs suffered from lack of adequate selectivity, resulting in considerable side-effects in the clinic. Current efforts directed towards second-generation compounds, encompassing a much greater range of structures and addressing a wider selection of biochemical targets, are enabling the identification and development of suitable candidates that benefit from improved activity and selectivity. Furthermore, second-generation compounds can address a variety of established targets that have previously proved refractory to other compound classes. This review focuses on the breadth of opportunities provided by second-generation leads from iminosugars (Seglins™).