Overview

Cerubidine was a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to induce remission in acute forms of leukemia such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Cerubidine was often combined with other drugs such as cytarabine in specific chemotherapy regimens. Cerubidine was also referred to by its drug name, daunorubicin. 

Cerubidine was an anticancer drug used in chemotherapy. Cerubidine was a member of a drug class called anthracycline antibiotics. Cerubidine was also a topoisomerase inhibitor. Cerubidine was believed to work by damaging DNA and blocking cell division in several different ways.

How was it given?

Cerubidine was usually administered as an intravenous infusion during chemotherapy treatment.

Side effects

The FDA-approved label for Cerubidine listed common side effects including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, hair loss, rash, mouth sores, and increased risk of infection.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Cerubidine included heart damage or inflammation, severe damage to skin at injection sites, hypersensitivity reactions, fetal harm in pregnant women, and increased risk for some types of cancer, even years after treatment has stopped.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Cerubidine — RxList