pirarubicin and esorubicin

Doxorubicin is an essential component of the treatment of aggressive lymphoma, childhood solid tumors, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and breast cancer and additional indications are emerging. On the other hand, daunorubicin has occupied the central position of interest in the treatment of acute leukemia. Epirubicin has a spectrum very similar to doxorubicin but lesser toxicity. The ability to protect against cardiotoxicity with ICRF-187 further enhances clinical interest in exploiting modifications in doze intensity to therapeutic advantage. Idarubicin has at least equivalent activity to daunorubicin and doxorubicin in leukemia. New areas of research in relation to anthracycline antibiotics include introduction of new the analogs, insight into mechanisms of resistance, the reversal of multidrug resistance in vitro, the protection of cardiac toxicity, and the study of other important biochemical reactions relevant to cytotoxicity. Orally active anthracyclines such as idarubicin and compounds which lack cross-resistance with the parent drugs or have other mechanisms for cytotoxicity are being developed. It is likely that these modifications will lead to an expanding therapeutic spectrum for these already widely useful drugs.

Topics: Aclarubicin; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Cardiomyopathies; Carubicin; Doxorubicin; Drug Resistance; Epirubicin; Humans; Idarubicin; Menogaril; Molecular Structure; Neoplasms; Nogalamycin

Several new anthracyclines have been recently made available for clinical use or for clinical trials. Each molecule is characterized by original metabolic and pharmacokinetic features, which can be compared to those of the reference anthracyclines, doxorubicin and daunorubicin. Idarubicin is transformed into idarubicinol to a high extent, similarly to the transformation of daunorubicin to daunorubicinol, whereas the 13-dihydroderivatives of esorubicin, epirubicin or pirarubicin are present in plasma at lower levels than the parent drugs. Epirubicin is the only anthracycline able to form glucuronides, and pirarubicin can be transformed into doxorubicin itself. The elimination half-life of epirubicin or esorubicin is similar to that of doxorubicin (30 h) and the elimination half-life of unchanged idarubicin or pirarubicin is shorter (15-20 h). The novel anthracyclines have generally a higher plasma clearance than doxorubicin or daunorubicin, and a higher volume of distribution. Less than 10% of the injected dose of any anthracycline is found in urines, the major elimination pathway being the bile. The knowledge of anthracycline pharmacokinetics may allow the prediction of their behavior when special administrations are used (continuous infusion, locoregional therapy...).

Topics: Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Daunorubicin; Doxorubicin; Epirubicin; Humans; Idarubicin

Topics: Aclarubicin; Anthraquinones; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Breast Neoplasms; Carubicin; Cell Survival; Daunorubicin; Doxorubicin; Drug Evaluation; Epirubicin; Heart; Humans; Idarubicin; Leukemia; Menogaril; Mitoxantrone; Naphthacenes; Nogalamycin; Sarcoma; Structure-Activity Relationship

Doxorubicin is an essential component of the treatment of aggressive lymphoma, childhood solid tumors, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and breast cancer and additional indications are emerging. On the other hand, daunorubicin has occupied the central position of interest in the treatment of acute leukemia. Epirubicin has a spectrum very similar to doxorubicin but lesser toxicity. The ability to protect against cardiotoxicity with ICRF-187 further enhances clinical interest in exploiting modifications in doze intensity to therapeutic advantage. Idarubicin has at least equivalent activity to daunorubicin and doxorubicin in leukemia. New areas of research in relation to anthracycline antibiotics include introduction of new the analogs, insight into mechanisms of resistance, the reversal of multidrug resistance in vitro, the protection of cardiac toxicity, and the study of other important biochemical reactions relevant to cytotoxicity. Orally active anthracyclines such as idarubicin and compounds which lack cross-resistance with the parent drugs or have other mechanisms for cytotoxicity are being developed. It is likely that these modifications will lead to an expanding therapeutic spectrum for these already widely useful drugs.

Topics: Aclarubicin; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Cardiomyopathies; Carubicin; Doxorubicin; Drug Resistance; Epirubicin; Humans; Idarubicin; Menogaril; Molecular Structure; Neoplasms; Nogalamycin