Temozolomide Capsules

Temozolomide is an oral alkylating agent used for the treatment of grade iv astrocytoma — an aggressive brain tumor, also known as glioblastoma multiforme — as well as for treating melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Temozolomide is also indicated for relapsed grade iii an plastic astrocytoma and not indicated for, but as of 2011 used to treat oligodendroglioma brain tumors in some countries, replacing the older (and less well tolerated) pcv (procarbazine-lomustine-vincristine) regimen.
temozolomide is a prodrug and animidazotetrazine derivative of the alkylating agent dacarbazine. It has been available in the us since august 1999, and in other countries since the early 2000s.
the therapeutic benefit of temozolomide depends on its ability to alkylate/methylate dna, which most often occurs at the n-7 or o-6 positions ofguanine residues. This methylation damages the dna and triggers the death of tumor cells. However, some tumor cells are able to repair this type of dna damage, and therefore diminish the therapeutic efficacy of temozolomide, by expressing a protein o6-alkylguanine dna alkyltransferase (agt) encoded in humans by the o-6-methylguanine-dna methyltransferase (mgmt) gene. In some tumors, epigenetic silencing of the mgmt gene prevents the synthesis of this enzyme, and as a consequence such tumors are more sensitive to killing by temozolomide. Conversely, the presence of agt protein in brain tumors predicts poor response to temozolomide and these patients receive little benefit from chemotherapy with temozolomide.
dosage form: capsules
strength:
5mg, 20mg, 100mg ,180mg & 250mg
therapeutic category:
• antineoplastic agents
• alkylating1