Fotemustine (Muphoran)

Mechanism of action

From the NCI Drug Dictionary: A chloroethylating nitrosourea with antineoplastic activity. Fotemustine alkylates guanine by forming chloroethyl adducts at the 6 position of guanine, resulting in N1-guanine and N3-cytosine cross linkages, inhibition of DNA synthesis, cell cycle arrest, and finally apoptosis. This agent is lipophilic and crosses the blood-brain barrier.

Preliminary data

Hodgkin lymphoma

1. Musso M, Messina G, Di Renzo N, Di Carlo P, Vitolo U, Scalone R, Marcacci G, Scalzulli PR, Moscato T, Matera R, Crescimanno A, Santarone S, Orciuolo E, Merenda A, Pavone V, Pastore D, Donnarumma D, Carella AM, Ciochetto C, Cascavilla N, Mele A, Lanza F, Di Nicola M, Bonizzoni E, Pinto A. Improved outcome of patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma with a new fotemustine-based high-dose chemotherapy regimen. Br J Haematol. 2016 Jan;172(1):111-21. Epub 2015 Oct 12. link to original article PubMed

Transplant conditioning regimens

1. Musso M, Scalone R, Marcacci G, Lanza F, Di Renzo N, Cascavilla N, Di Bartolomeo P, Crescimanno A, Perrone T, Pinto A. Fotemustine plus etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (FEAM) as a new conditioning regimen for lymphoma patients undergoing auto-SCT: a multicenter feasibility study. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2010 Jul;45(7):1147-53. Epub 2009 Nov 9. link to original article PubMed