Vincristine-Teva intravenous 1 mg/ml – [1 vial]

Description

Vincristine Pharmacodynamics
Vincristine is an antitumor drug with cytostatic action; it is an alkaloid of pink periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), which binds to tubulin protein and leads to disruption of the microtubule apparatus of cells and to rupture of the mitotic spindle. It suppresses mitosis in metaphase. Vincristine selectively blocks DNA repair mechanism in tumor cells and also blocks RNA synthesis by blocking the action of DNA-dependent RNA synthetase.

Indications
Acute leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, multiple myeloma, Kaposi sarcoma, uterine choriocarcinoma, small cell lung cancer.
Vincristine is also used in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (resistant to glucocorticosteroids and when splenectomy fails).

Contraindications
– Hypersensitivity to vincristine or any other component of the drug.
– Neuromuscular disorders (in particular demyelinating form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome).
– Severe hepatic dysfunction.
– Threatening intestinal obstruction, especially in children.
– Simultaneous radiation therapy with involvement of the liver region.
– Pregnancy and breast feeding.
Caution
In patients with decreased liver function, constipation, suppression of bone marrow hematopoiesis, a history of neuropathy, acute infectious diseases, prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy, elderly patients and patients with coronary heart disease.
Use in pregnancy and during breastfeeding
Vincristine is contraindicated for use during pregnancy. Breast-feeding should be discontinued if use during lactation is necessary. Women of childbearing age should use reliable methods of contraception when using Vincristine.

Dosage and administration

• Vincristine is administered strictly intravenously (avoid extravasation) at 1 week intervals. The duration of injection should be at least 1 minute.
• Intrathecal administration of the drug is prohibited!
• The dose should be determined individually, depending on the applied treatment regimen and clinical condition of the patient.
• Adults: usually administer 1.0-1.4 mg/m2 of body surface, a single dose should not exceed 2 mg/m2. The maximum total dose is 10-12 mg/m2.
• Children: administer 1.5-2.0 mg/m2 of body surface area. In children with body weight ≤ 10 kg, the initial dose should be 0.05 mg/kg per week.
• The course of therapy is usually 4-6 weeks.
• In liver function decrease (direct bilirubin concentration in serum ≥ 3 mg/100 ml (51 µmol/L)) the vincristine dose should be reduced by 50%.
• If there are signs of severe lesions of the nervous system, especially if paresis develops, treatment with vincristine should not be performed. After disappearance of neurological symptoms when the drug is withdrawn, therapy can be resumed at a dose equal to 50% of the initial one.
• No dose adjustment is required in elderly patients.