VINCRISTINE GLS 1

Description

Introduction:

Vincristine was first isolated in 1961.It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.It is a vinca alkaloid that can be obtained from the Madagascar periwinkle Catharanthus roseus. The natural extraction of vincristine from Catharanthus roseus is produced at a percent yield of less than 0.0003%. For this reason, alternate methods to produce synthetic vincristine are being used 

Indications:

Vincristine sulphate is used either alone or in conjunction with other oncolytic drugs for the treatment of:

1. Leukaemias, including acute lymphocytic leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, acute myelogenous leukaemia and blastic crisis of chronic myelogenous leukaemia.
2. Malignant lymphomas, including Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas.
3. Multiple myeloma.
4. Solid tumours, including breast carcinoma, small cell bronchogenic carcinoma, head and neck carcinoma and soft tissue sarcomas.
5. Paediatric solid tumours, including Ewing’s sarcoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumour, retinoblastoma and medulloblastoma.
6. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Patients with true ITP refractory to splenectomy and short-term treatment with adrenocortical steroids may respond to vincristine but the medicinal product is not recommended as primary treatment of this disorder. Recommended weekly doses of vincristine given for 3 to 4 weeks have produced permanent remissions in some patients. If patients fail to respond after 3 to 6 doses, it is unlikely that there will be any beneficial results with additional doses

Available Strengths: