SkQ1: The Road from Laboratory Bench to the Market

SkQ1 and other mitochondria-targeted plastoquinone derivatives are promising drug candidates for the treatment of pathologies associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Experiments in animals revealed that SkQ alleviates damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury, prevents autoimmune arthritis, suppresses the development of Alzheimer’s disease signs, inhibits the development of ophthalmological disorders, including dry eye syndrome (DES), and has anti-inflammatory activity. The first SkQ-based drug (Visomitin eye drops) is already developed and registered in Russia; clinical studies of orally administered drug is in progress. In this review, we summarize recent experimental data on SkQ effects in animals, results of clinical trials and future perspectives of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants as therapeutic compounds.