Idarubicin

The Uses of Idarubicin

Antineoplastic.

Background

An orally administered anthracycline antineoplastic. The compound has shown activity against breast cancer, lymphomas and leukemias, together with the potential for reduced cardiac toxicity.

Indications

For the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults. This includes French-American-British (FAB) classifications M1 through M7.

Indications

Idarubicin (Idamycin) differs from its parent compound, daunorubicin, by the absence of the methoxy group in the anthracycline ring structure. Its mechanisms of action and resistance are similar to those of doxorubicin and daunorubicin; however, it is more lipophilic and more potent than these other anthracyclines. Idarubicin undergoes extensive hepatic metabolism and biliary excretion. Adverse reactions of idarubicin are similar to those of its congeners.

Definition

ChEBI: Idarubicin is a monosaccharide derivative, an anthracycline antibiotic and a deoxy hexoside. It derives from a hydride of a tetracene.

Pharmacokinetics

Idarubicin is an antineoplastic in the anthracycline class. General properties of drugs in this class include: interaction with DNA in a variety of different ways including intercalation (squeezing between the base pairs), DNA strand breakage and inhibition with the enzyme topoisomerase II. Most of these compounds have been isolated from natural sources and antibiotics. However, they lack the specificity of the antimicrobial antibiotics and thus produce significant toxicity. The anthracyclines are among the most important antitumor drugs available. Doxorubicin is widely used for the treatment of several solid tumors while daunorubicin and idarubicin are used exclusively for the treatment of leukemia. Idarubicin may also inhibit polymerase activity, affect regulation of gene expression, and produce free radical damage to DNA. Idarubicin possesses an antitumor effect against a wide spectrum of tumors, either grafted or spontaneous. The anthracyclines are cell cycle-nonspecific.

Metabolism

Not Available