Pegaspargase
Pharmaceutical drug
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
| |
| Clinical data | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /pəˈɡæspərɡeɪz/ |
| Trade names | Oncaspar |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
| MedlinePlus | a695031 |
| License data |
|
| Pregnancy category |
|
| Routes of administration | Intramuscular, intravenous |
| ATC code | |
| Legal status | |
| Legal status | |
| Identifiers | |
| |
| CAS Number | |
| DrugBank | |
| ChemSpider |
|
| UNII | |
| KEGG | |
| ChEMBL | |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C1377H2208N382O442S17 |
| Molar mass | 31732.06 g·mol−1 |
  (what is this?) (verify) | |
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]
