Design and Synthesis of Pyrimidine-Based Heteroaryl Compounds and their Applications for the Treatment of Cancer

Abstract: Pyrimidines are nitrogen-containing singular heterocycles renowned for having a broad spectrum of therapeutic applications in anticancer and antiviral drug development. Many anticancer drugs that are sold commercially contain pyrimidine moieties. Based on these findings, the synthesis of several possible pyrimidine derivatives with anticancer activity, reported between 2018 and 2023, is thoroughly explained in this review. Further, this review highlights the in vitro and molecular docking studies of several malignancies. Recent advances in the synthesis of pyrimidine analogs, along with their anticancer activity reported in this review, make this heterocyclic moiety an attractive scaffold for discovering newer anticancer drugs.