About the chemotherapy agent Bendamustine

 

Bendamustine hydrochloride is an alkylating agent recently approved by the FDA for treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The FDA approved bendamustine (trade name Treanda) based on a randomized, controlled, multicenter trial using either bendamustine or chorambucil, another alkylating agent, as initial treatment for CLL. This trial showed good results were obtained with bendamustine.

Bendamustine was developed in East Germany during the 1960’s. It has been used there to treat more than 20,000 cancer patients, including those with multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and solid cancers. Studies are ongoing in Germany, the United States, and other countries to see how well bendamustine works for cancers other than CLL.

Bendamustine is a “bifunctional mechlorethamine derivative.” The drug and its derivatives break down into alkyl groups. The alkyl groups bond with substances inside of tumor cells. This eventually leads to cell death. The exact mechanism by which bendamustine kills tumor cells is not known. In addition to being an alkylating agent, it also has similarities with other cancer treatment drugs, nucleoside analogs and purine analogs.

Bendamustine has also been investigated for use as a salvage therapy in advanced breast cancer. Its low toxicity and clinical trial results that show increases in patient survival times have drawn the attention of cancer researchers, who suggest that a weekly administration of the drug may be beneficial for breast cancer that has already been treated with taxol or antibiotics.

This medication differs from many other chemotherapy agents in that it can be given infrequently. Indeed, a recent study suggested that once-every-three weeks administration of bendamustine can be effective.