Benzimidazole and its derivatives: Recent Advances (2020–2022)

Benzimidazoles are fused heterocyclic ring systems containing two nitrogen atoms. They have vital therapeutic significance in drug discovery. Many clinically approved drugs have been developed from benzimidazole, and these include liarozole and pracinostat (anticancer), omeprazole (proton pump inhibitors), oxfendazole (Anthelmintic), enviroxine (antiviral), ilaprazole (antiulcer), ridinilazole (antibacterial), flubendazole (antiparasitic), bilastine (antihistaminic), and many more. The vast therapeutic applications of benzimidazole and its derivatives have propelled many researchers to develop more biologically active compounds bearing benzimidazole, thus broadening the scope of finding a remedy for other diseases; as a result, many new pharmaceutical drugs containing benzimidazole are expected to be available within the next decade. In this review, we describe bioactive benzimidazole hybrids in the recent year, from 2020 to 2022, to accentuate the pros of using benzimidazole in drug development.