Cosmegen - Dactinomycin

Cosmegen - dactinomycin Matulane - procarbazine Temodar- temozolomide... 

Dactinomycin. Dactinomycin [50-76-0] (actinomycin D, actinomycin Cl, Cosmegen), is the only actinomycin in clinical use. 

Dactinomycin (actinomycin D, Cosmegen) is one of a family of chromopeptides produced by Streptomyces. It is known to bind noncovalently to double-strand DNA by partial intercalation, inhibiting DNA-directed RNA synthesis. The drug is most toxic to proliferating cells, but it is not specific for any one phase of the cell cycle. Resistance to dactinomycin is caused by decreased ability of tumor cells to take up and retain the drug, and it is associated with cross-resistance to vinca alkaloids, the anthracyclines, and certain other agents (multidrug resistance). 

Dactinomycin Cosmegen Carcinoma of testicle and endometrium carcinosarcoma of kidney [Wilms tumor] Ewing sarcoma rhabdomyosarcoma Blood disorders [leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, others] Gl distress [nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite] mucocutaneous lesions skin disorders [rash, hair loss] local irritation at injection site... 

A variety of other agents with cytotoxic effects has been used to suppress the immune system. These drugs include chlorambucil (Leukeran), dactinomycin (Cosmegen), mercaptopurine (Purinethol), vinblastine (Velban), and vincristine (Oncovin, Vincasar).41 These... 

The antibiotics that bind to DNA are nonspecific to the cell-cycle phase. Dactinomycin (actinomycin D and Cosmegen) binds to double-stranded DNA and prevents RNA synthesis by inhibiting DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. It is administered intravenously in the treatment of pediatric solid tumors such as Wilms tumor and rhabdomyosarcoma and for gestational choriocarcinoma. Dactinomycin causes skin reactions, gastrointestinal injury, and delayed bone marrow depression. 

The usual daily dose of dactinomycin (Actinomycin D, Cosmegen) is 10 to 15 ag/kg this is given intravenously for 5 days if no manifestations of toxicity are encountered, additional courses may be given at intervals of 2 to 4 weeks. In other regimens, 3 to 6 ag/kg per day for a total of 125 ag/kg and weekly maintenance doses of 7.5 ag/kg have been used. If infiltrated during administration, the drug is extremely corrosive to soft tissues. 

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