Developed by GlaxoSmithKline |
Nelarabine is a prodrug for deoxyguanosine analogue ——9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl guanine (ara-G). Nelarabine demethylates in the role of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and turns into ara-G. Then, It turns into active ara-G triphosphate (ara-GTP) in the role of the deoxyguanosine kinase and deoxycytidine kinase and under the action of the monophosphorylation pathway. Ara-GTP can accumulate in leukemia cells, and bind to DNA to inhibit DNA synthesis, and accelerate leukemia cell death. In addition, the anti-cancer mechanism of Nelarabine may also be related to its cytotoxicity and somatic toxicity.
Nelarabine was first successfully developed by GlaxoSmithKline. On October 28, 2005 under the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration, it became a new drug for curing T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-Cells lymphoblasticlymphoma (T-LBL) which are resistant to at least two types of chemotherapy regimens or relapsed after initial treatment. This new drug officially listed in the United States in 2006. This product didn’t apply for patent and administrative protection in China, so the development of this product does not exist intellectual property issues. |