The kinetics of the interaction of glycyl-L-valine(L 1 -L′H), glycyl-L-isoleucine (L 2 -L′H) and glycyl-L-glutamine(L 3 -L′H) with cis-[Pt(cis-dach)(OH 2 ) 2 ] 2+ (dach = 1,2-diaminocyclohexane) have been studied spectrophotometrically as a function of [cis-[Pt(cis-dach)(OH 2 ) 2 ] 2+ ], [ligand], pH and temperature at constant ionic strength, where the complex exists predominantly as the diaqua species and the dipeptides as a zwitterion. The substitution reactions show two consecutive steps: the initial is the ligand-assisted anation and the subsequent step is chelation. The activation parameters for both steps were evaluated using Eyring's equation. The low ∆H 1 ≠ and large negative value of ∆S 1 ≠ as well as ∆H 2 ≠ and ∆S 2 ≠ indicate an associative mode of activation for both the aqua ligand substitution processes. The products of the reactions have been characterised using IR and ESI-mass spectroscopic analysis. The title complex is already established as an anticancer drug; but its reactivity with all biomolecules will confirm its therapeutic activity (i.e. its efficacy versus toxicity).Ligand substitution on cis-diaqua platinum www.prkm.co.uk 123 neurotoxicity, nausea, vomiting, and myelosuppression [7,8]. The continuing interest and stimulation has been triggered and guided by two objectives: first, to develop new metal complexes having superior spectra of activities, lower toxicities, better therapeutic indices, and higher solubilities than the presently existing drugs; and second, to understand the mechanistic features of the actions of metal complexes in vivo from the model reactions in vitro. Thus, further investigations have been carried out to synthesise "the second generation platinum drugs" with improved toxicological profiles and "third generation drugs" overcoming cisplatin resistance. Besides cisplatin, the second-generation drug, carboplatin (diamine[1,1cyclobutane-dicarboxylato(2-)]-O,O´-platinum(II)) has been introduced into oncotherapy and the third generation drug, oxaliplatin (cis-oxalato-trans-l-1,2-diaminocyclohexaneplatinum(II)) has been approved for clinical use in Europe, China and, for colorectal cancer, the USA [9]. Dach-Pt compounds have been intensively studied because of their potential efficacy against cisplatin-resistant tumours and their reduced nephrotoxicity and myelotoxicity compared to cisplatin and carboplatin. Since dach-Pt compounds can overcome cisplatin resistance in some cancer cell lines but not in others, it is important to understand the mechanism which determine the carrier ligand specificity of resistance. The ultimate target for Pt is DNA and certain platinated DNA adducts trigger DNA degradation and apoptosis (programmed cell death) [10,11]. Although intensive efforts of various research groups in the recent past have contributed significantly towards understanding the antitumour activity of platinum complexes, most of the studies focused on the structural identification of the binding of the DNA constituents to the metal centre using NMR, HPLC, ESI-MS and X-...