IrinotecanClinical dataTrade namesCamptosar (US), Campto (EU), Onivyde (liposomal)AHFS/Drugs.comMonographMedlinePlusa608043Pregnancycategory

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Irinotecan, sold under the brand name Camptosar among others, is a medication used to treat colon cancer and small cell lung cancer.[1] For colon cancer it is used either alone or with fluorouracil.[1] For small cell lung cancer it is used with cisplatin.[1] It is given by slow injection into a vein.[1]

Common side effects include diarrhea, vomiting, bone marrow suppression, hair loss, shortness of breath, and fever.[1] Other severe side effects include blood clots, colon inflammation, and allergic reactions.[1] Those with two copies of the UGT1A1*28 gene variant are at higher risk for side effects.[1] Use during pregnancy can result in harm to the baby.[1] Irinotecan is in topoisomerase inhibitor family of medication.[2] It works by blocking topoisomerase 1 which results in DNA damage and cell death.[1]

Irinotecan was approved for medical use in the United States in 1996.[1] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system.[3] In the United Kingdom it is available as a generic medication and costs the NHS about 114.00 pounds per 100mg.[2] It is made from the natural compound camptothecin.[1]

Its main use is in colon cancer, in particular, in combination with other chemotherapy agents. This includes the regimen FOLFIRI, which consists of infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan. The regimen XELIRI consists of capecitabine and irinotecan.[4][5]

The most significant adverse effects of irinotecan are severe diarrhea and extreme suppression of the immune system.[6]

Irinotecan-associated diarrhea is severe and clinically significant, sometimes leading to severe dehydration requiring hospitalization or intensive care unit admission. This side-effect is managed with the aggressive use of antidiarrheals such as loperamide or co-phenotrope with the first loose bowel movement.

The immune system is adversely impacted by irinotecan. This is reflected in dramatically lowered white blood cell counts in the blood, in particular the neutrophils. The patient may experience a period of neutropenia (a clinically significant decrease of neutrophils in the blood) while the bone marrow increases white cell production to compensate.

Irinotecan is activated by hydrolysis to SN-38, an inhibitor of topoisomerase I. This is then inactivated by glucuronidation by uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1). The inhibition of topoisomerase I by the active metabolite SN-38 eventually leads to inhibition of both DNA replication and transcription.[6]

The molecular action of irinotecan occurs by trapping a subset of topoisomerase-1-DNA cleavage complexes, those with a guanine +1 in the DNA sequence.[7] One irinotecan molecule stacks against the base pairs flanking the topoisomerase-induced cleavage site and poisons (inactivates) the topoisomerase 1 enzyme.[7]

Click on genes, proteins and metabolites below to link to respective articles. [ 1]

Irinotecan is converted by an enzyme into its active metabolite SN-38, which is in turn inactivated by the enzyme UGT1A1 by glucuronidation.

People with variants of the UGT1A1 called TA7, also known as the "*28 variant", express fewer UGT1A1 enzymes in their liver and often have Gilbert's syndrome. During chemotherapy, they effectively receive a larger than expected dose because their bodies are not able to clear irinotecan as fast as others. In studies this corresponds to higher incidences of severe neutropenia and diarrhea.[8]

In 2004, a clinical study was performed that both validated prospectively the association of the *28 variant with greater toxicity and the ability of genetic testing in predicting that toxicity before chemotherapy administration.[8]

In 2005, the FDA made changes to the labeling of irinotecan to add pharmacogenomics recommendations, such that irinotecan recipients with a homozygous (both of the two gene copies) polymorphism in UGT1A1 gene, to be specific, the *28 variant, should be considered for reduced drug doses.[9] Irinotecan is one of the first widely used chemotherapy agents that is dosed according to the recipient's genotype.[10]

Irinotecan received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996 and full approval in 1998.[11][12]

During development, it was known as CPT-11.

A liposome encapsulated version of irinotecan sold as Onivyde, was approved by FDA in October 2015 to treat metastatic pancreatic cancer.[13] It gained EU approval in October 2016.[14]

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Irinotecan - Wikipedia