Fludarabine

Synonyms

9-β-d-Arabinosyl-2-fluoroadenine (F-ara-A) monophosphate; FAMP; Fludarabine phosphate; NSC-312887

Definition

Is the prodrug of 9-β-d-arabinosyl-2-fluoroadenine (F-ara-A), a synthetic halogen-substituted analogue of deoxyadenosine. Fludarabine and the two other related compounds cladribine (2-chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine) and pentostatin (2′-deoxycoformycin) are collectively referred to as purine analogues, although pentostatin is not actually an analogue, but an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase. Fludarabine is widely used in the treatment of indolent lymphoproliferative malignancies, acute myeloid leukemia, and as a part of the conditioning regimen for non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Characteristics

Clinical and Cellular Pharmacology

The development of fludarabine stemmed from the success of the cytosine analogue cytarabine(ara-C) in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. A similar adenine analogue, Ara-A (vidarabine), was a successful antiviral agent...