The bis-chelated tetrahedral gold(I) complex [Au(dppe)2]Cl, where dppe is Ph2P(CH2)2PPh2, is active in several animal tumor models. When added to human blood plasma in vitro it appears to bind to lipoproteins, giving a slightly broadened 31P NMR signal, and 1H NMR resonances which are too broad to detect. Some lipoprotein is denatured. 31P NMR studies suggest that some [Au(dppe)2]+ is transferred from plasma to red cells with a half-life of ca. 2 hr. The complex binds within red cell membranes and the 1H resonances of intracellular glutathione are unaffected. The 31P NMR resonance from [Au(dppe)2]+ in red cell membranes is observable only when the complex is mobilized by addition of sodium dodecyl sulphate, which also mobilizes membrane phospholipids.