Use of bis-platinum complexes as antitumor agents

In a method of treating a patient with a tumor susceptible to platinum therapy by administering thereto an antitumor effective amount of a platinum complex the improvement wherein the complex is a bis-platinum complex having the formula ##STR23## wherein A is a ligand having two pairs of platinum-coordinating acidic groups which are each independently a carboxylate, phenolate, sulfonate or phosphonate group, each said pair being capable of coordinating with a platinum ion to form a 5-10 membered chelate ring;

• Z is a water-solubilizing group;
• n is 0 or a positive integer, with the proviso that n is 0 only when at least one of said platinum-coordinating acidic groups is sulfonate or phosphonate, or when at least one platinum ion is a Pt(IV) ion;
• and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are each independently H or a C.sub.1-20 alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl group, or together form one or more C.sub.1-30 alkylene, cycloalkylene, arylene, aralkylene or alkarylene groups;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.