Brands, Medical Use, Clinical Data
Drug Category
- Antineoplastic Agents
- Homeopathic Agents
Dosage Forms
Brands / Synonyms
Acide Arsenieux; Acide Arsenieux [French]; Anhydride Arsenieux; Anhydride Arsenieux [French]; Arseni Trioxydum; Arsenic Blanc; Arsenic Blanc [French]; Arsenic Oxide; Arsenic Oxidearsenous Trioxide; Arsenic Sesquioxide; Arsenic Trioxide [Jan]; Arsenic Trioxide [UN1561] [Poison]; Arsenic, White; Arsenicum Album; Arsenigen Saure; Arsenigen Saure [German]; Arsenious Acid; Arsenious Acid Anhydride; Arsenious Oxide; Arsenious Trioxide; Arsenite; Arsenolite; Arsenous Acid; Arsenous Acid Anhydride; Arsenous Anhydride; Arsenous Oxide; Arsenous Oxide Anhydride; Arsenous Oxide [ISO]; Arsentrioxide; Arsodent; Claudelite; Claudetite; Crude Arsenic; Di-Arsenic Trioxide; Diarsenic Trioxide; Diarsonic Trioxide; HSDB 419; Oxyde Arsenieux [ISO-French]; Poison Flour; Trisenox; White Arsenic
Indications
For induction of remission and consolidation in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and whose APL is characterized by the presence of the t(15;17) translocation or PML/RAR-alpha gene expression
Pharmacology
Arsenic Trioxide is indicated for induction of remission and consolidation in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who are refractory to, or have relapsed from, retinoid and anthracycline chemotherapy.
Mechanism of Action
The mechanism of action of Arsenic Trioxide is not completely understood. Arsenic trioxide causes morphological changes and DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis in NB4 human promyelocytic leukemia cells in vitro. Arsenic trioxide also causes damage or degradation of the fusion protein PML/RAR-alpha.
Absorption
Not Available
Toxicity
Symptoms of overdose include convulsions, muscle weakness and confusion.
Biotrnasformation / Drug Metabolism
The metabolism of arsenic trioxide involves reduction of pentavalent arsenic to trivalent arsenic by arsenate reductase and methylation of trivalent arsenic to monomethylarsonic acid and monomethylarsonic acid to dimethylarsinic acid by methyltransferases. The main site of methylation reactions appears to be the liver. Arsenic is stored mainly in liver, kidney, heart, lung, hair and nails.
Contraindications
TRISENOXô is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to arsenic.
Drug Interactions
No formal assessments of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions between TRISENOXô and other agents have been
conducted. Caution is advised when TRISENOXô is coadministered with other medications that can prolong the QT
interval (e.g. certain antiarrhythmics or thioridazine) or lead to electrolyte abnormalities (such as diuretics or
amphotericin B).
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