In the Chemical Glycobiology Research Group (Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Debrecen) many bioactive monosaccharide derivatives have been designed and synthesized for many years. During this work, sugar containing half-sandwich platinum-group metal complexes have been synthesized and patented. Some have shown (sub)micromolar cytostatic activity against carcinoma, lymphoma and sarcoma cancer. The aim of this research work was to synthesize sugar-based semicarbazone and thiosemicarbazone derivatives as percursors of new platinum-group metal complexes.