Zetabin RTU

Gemcitabine for injection is a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor that exhibits antitumor activity. Gemcitabine HCl is 2´-deoxy-2´,2´-difluorocytidine monohydrochloride (β-isomer).

The structural formula is as follows:

The empirical formula for gemcitabine HCl is C₉H₁₁F₂N₃O₄ • HCl. It has a molecular weight of 299.66.

Gemcitabine HCl is soluble in water, slightly soluble in methanol, and practically insoluble in ethanol and polar organic solvents.

Gemcitabine HCl is supplied in a sterile form for intravenous use only. Vials of Gemcitabine HCl contain either 200 mg or 1 g of gemcitabine HCl (expressed as free base) formulated with mannitol (200 mg or 1 g, respectively) and sodium acetate (12.5 mg or 62.5 mg, respectively) as a sterile lyophilized powder. Hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide may have been added for pH adjustment.

Gemcitabine is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer in combination with cisplatin.

Gemcitabine is indicated for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

Gemcitabine, in combination with cisplatin is indicated as first line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gemcitabine monotherapy can be considered in elderly patients or those with performance status 2.

Gemcitabine is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic epithelial ovarian carcinoma, in combination with carboplatin, in patients with relapsed disease following a recurrence-free interval of at least 6 months after platinum-based, first-line therapy.

Gemcitabine, in combination with paclitaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable, locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who have relapsed following adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Prior chemotherapy should have included an anthracycline unless clinically contraindicated.

Gemcitabine kills cells undergoing DNA synthesis and blocks the progression of cells through the G1/S-phase boundary. Gemcitabine is metabolized by nucleoside kinases to diphosphate (dFdCDP) and triphosphate (dFdCTP) nucleosides. Gemcitabine diphosphate inhibits ribonucleotide reductase, an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the reactions that generate deoxynucleoside triphosphates for DNA synthesis, resulting in reductions in deoxynucleotide concentrations, including dCTP. Gemcitabine triphosphate competes with dCTP for incorporation into DNA. The reduction in the intracellular concentration of dCTP by the action of the diphosphate enhances the incorporation of gemcitabine triphosphate into DNA (self-potentiation). After the gemcitabine nucleotide is incorporated into DNA, only one additional nucleotide is added to the growing DNA strands, which eventually results in the initiation of apoptotic cell death.

• Keep GEMCITABINE INJECTION out of reach of children