Pegaspargase

Last updated

Pegaspargase
Pegaspargasa.png
Clinical data
Pronunciation /pəˈɡæspərɡz/
Trade names Oncaspar
AHFS/Drugs.com Monograph
MedlinePlus a695031
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU:D
Routes of
administration
Intramuscular, intravenous
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
  • Pegylated E. coli L-asparagine amidohydrolase
CAS Number
DrugBank
ChemSpider
  • none
UNII
KEGG
ChEMBL
Chemical and physical data
Formula C1377H2208N382O442S17
Molar mass 31732.06 g·mol−1
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Pegaspargase, sold under the brand name Oncaspar, is a medication used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). [5] Often it is used together with anthracycline, vincristine, and corticosteroids (for example prednisone and dexamethasone). [6] Pegaspargase can be administered either via an intravenous infusion or a intramuscular injection. [6]

Known side effects include allergic reactions, coagulopathy, high blood sugar, affecting liver function, pancreas inflammation, and blood clots in the brain. [6] There is no data regarding the usage of pegaspargase during pregnancy. [7] Therefore, caution should be observed and pegaspargase should only be used during pregnancy when the benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Pegaspargase is a modified version of the enzyme asparaginase which has undergone PEGylation. [8] [6] It works by breaking down the amino acid asparagine that are circulating in the bloodstream. [6] The circulating asparagine is essential for the cancer cells to enable growth since they can't produce their own, in contrast to normal cells. [9] The normal cells are therefore less affected by pegaspargase.

Pegaspargase was approved for medical use in the United States in 1994. [6] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. [10] It is made by Sigma-Tau. [6]

References

  1. "Prescription medicines: registration of new chemical entities in Australia, 2017". Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 21 June 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  2. "Prescription medicines and biologicals: TGA annual summary 2017". Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 21 June 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  3. "Cancer therapies". Health Canada . 8 May 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  4. "Oncaspar EPAR". European Medicines Agency (EMA). Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. Graham ML (2003). "Pegaspargase: a review of clinical studies". Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 55 (10): 1293–302. doi:10.1016/S0169-409X(03)00110-8. PMID   14499708.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Pegaspargase Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  7. "Pegaspargase (Oncaspar) Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  8. "UNM Cancer Center". Archived from the original on 3 September 2006. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
  9. "DailyMed - oncaspar- pegaspargase injection, solution for intramuscular and intravenous use". dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  10. World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl: 10665/325771 . WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.