Bendamustine: a new treatment option for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a slow-growing hematologic malignancy and the most common type of leukemia in the western world. The lifetime risk for developing CLL is 1 in 216 men and women. Unfortunately, CLL is considered incurable with the chemotherapeutic agents available today. Bendamustine is a new agent that was recently added to the available regimens for the treatment of CLL. It was also recently approved for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Its mechanism of action is unknown, but it contains an alkylating group similar to that of other bifunctional alkylating agents such as chlorambucil, and it also contains a benzimidazole central ring thought to exhibit antipurine-like properties. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved bendamustine based on results from an international phase III study of CLL in which bendamustine was compared with chlorambucil in treatment-naïve patients. Ongoing clinical trials are assessing the utility of bendamustine in combination with other agents for the treatment of CLL, as well as for other malignancies.
Department of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29412, USA. glode@musc.edu
Ashley E
AE
Glode
Anthony
A
Jarkowski
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069461:Bendamustine Hydrochloride; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; D000069461:Bendamustine Hydrochloride