Adriamycin demonstrated a long plasma half-life of 16.7 hours and a cumulative 5-day urinary excretion of 5.7%, compared to 23% for daunorubicin, indicating extensive metabolic degradation.
What are the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of adriamycin in cancer patients?
Adriamycin has a long plasma half-life and undergoes extensive metabolic degradation, providing a rational foundation for an intermittent single high-dosage schedule.
Absolute Event Rate: 5.7% vs 23%
A pharmacokinetic evaluation of adriamycin and its metabolites was undertaken in cancer patients treated according to an intermittent single high‐dosage schedule. The long plasma half‐life of adriamycin and metabolites, 26.7 hours, was similar to that of daunorubicin and its metabolites. Long plasma half‐life of adriamycin, 16.7 hours, was shorter than that of its metabolites, 31.7 hours. In addition to differences in the metabolism of the two drugs, the cumulative 5 day urinary excretion of adriamycin and its metabolites was only 5.7% of the administered dose in contrast to 23% for daunorubicin and its metabolites. This study establishes that after a single intravenous dose plasma levels of adriamycin are maintained for long periods; it lays a rational foundation for the empirically effective intermittent single high‐dosage schedule. That adriamycin undergoes extensive metabolic degradation in patients is described for the first time.
Benjamin et al. (1973) studied Cancer. Adriamycin vs. Daunorubicin was evaluated on Cumulative 5-day urinary excretion. Adriamycin demonstrated a long plasma half-life of 16.7 hours and a cumulative 5-day urinary excretion of 5.7%, compared to 23% for daunorubicin, indicating extensive metabolic degradation.