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 Fludarabine phosphate

Fludarabine phosphate is the phosphate salt of a fluorinated nucleotide antimetabolite analog of the antiviral agent vidarabine (ara-A) with antineoplastic activity. Fludarabine phosphate is rapidly dephosphorylated to 2-fluoro-ara-A and then phosphorylated intracellularly by deoxycytidine kinase to the active triphosphate, 2-fluoro-ara-ATP. This metabolite may inhibit DNA polymerase alpha, ribonucleotide reductase and DNA primase, thereby interrupting DNA synthesis and inhibiting tumor cell growth. Check for active clinical trials or closed clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus)

Fludarabine is highly effective in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, producing higher response rates than alkylating agents such as chlorambucil alone.[1] Fludarabine is used in various combinations with cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, dexamethasone and rituximab in the treatment of indolent non-Hodgkins lymphomas. As part of the FLAG regimen, fludarabine is used together with cytarabine and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia. Because of its immunosuppressive effects, fludarabine is also used in some conditioning regimens prior to non myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplant.

Oforta™ (fludarabine phosphate tablets) for oral administration contain fludarabine phosphate, a fluorinated nucleotide analog of the antiviral agent vidarabine, 9-beta -D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A) that is relatively resistant to deamination by adenosine deaminase. Each tablet contains 10 mg of the active ingredient fludarabine phosphate. The tablet core consists of microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, colloidal anhydrous silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium and magnesium stearate. The film-coat contains hypromellose, talc, titanium dioxide (E171) and ferric oxide pigment (red/E172, yellow/E172).

Mechanism of Action

Fludarabine phosphate (2F-ara-AMP) is a synthetic purine nucleotide antimetabolite agent. Upon administration, 2F-ara-AMP is rapidly dephosphorylated in the plasma to 2F-ara-A, which then enters into the cell. Intracellularly, 2F-ara-A is converted to the 5'-triphosphate, 2-fluoro-ara-ATP (2F-ara-ATP). 2F-ara-ATP competes with deoxyadenosine triphosphate for incorporation into DNA. Once incorporated into DNA, 2F-ara-ATP functions as a DNA chain terminator, inhibits DNA polymerase alpha, gamma, and delta, and inhibits ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase. 2F-ara-A also inhibits DNA primase and DNA ligase I. The mechanism of action of this antimetabolite is not completely characterized and may be multi-faceted.

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