Abstract

Tuberculosis is a severe infectious disease currently being treated with drugs that were developed more than 40 years ago. In recent years, the emergence of resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, as well as co-infection with the AIDS virus, has caused global concern about the evolution of the disease. Thus, the search for new drugs has become a necessity and a great challenge. Fluorine is a strategic element that is very useful in medicinal chemistry for its great influence on the biological activity of substances. This review highlights the importance of fluorinated molecules that are currently in clinical use or pre-clinical phases of development. Further, some substances in the prototype development stage are cited, which potentially represent future alternatives for the treatment of tuberculosis.

Keywords: Organofluorine, fluoroquinolones, trifluoromethyl, nitroimidazoles, N-fluorobenzoxazolidinones, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.