Biomimetic chemical catalysts in the oxidative activation of drugs

An overview of the biomimetic catalysts used in the oxidative activation of drugs is given, with an emphasis on the use of synthetic metalloporphyrins as models of cytochrome P450 to mimic the in vivo metabolism of pharmaceuticals. In addition, a special focus is directed towards the recent results from the authors' group on the oxidative activation of isoniazid, an antitubercular drug.