Indications
Idarubicin Hydrochloride PhaRes is used together with other approved antileukemic drugs to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults. This covers the French-American-British (FAB) classifications M1 through M7.
⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.
Pharmacology
Idarubicin hydrochloride is an analog of daunorubicin that works by intercalating into DNA. It inhibits the synthesis of nucleic acids and interacts with the enzyme topoisomerase II. The anthracycline structure of idarubicin has no methoxy group at position 4, and this makes the compound highly lipophilic. As a result, cells take it up faster than they take up other anthracyclines.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Idarubicin is Pregnancy Category D. In rats, it was embryotoxic and teratogenic at 1.2 mg/m2/day, which is one tenth of the human dose and did not poison the mother animals. In rabbits it was embryotoxic but not teratogenic, even at 2.4 mg/m2/day (two tenths of the human dose), and that dose was toxic to the mothers. No conclusive information shows that idarubicin harms human fertility or causes teratogenesis. There has been one report of a fetal death after the mother was exposed to idarubicin in the second trimester. No adequate and well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women.
If Idarubicin is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant during treatment, she should be told about the possible hazard to the fetus. Women who could become pregnant should be advised to avoid pregnancy.
Nursing mothers: It is not known whether idarubicin passes into human milk. Many drugs do pass into milk, and idarubicin could cause serious adverse reactions in a nursing infant, so mothers should stop nursing before they take this medicine.
⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Dosage Reference
⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.