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CancerQuest > Drugs > Arsenic trioxide (Trisenox®)

Arsenic trioxide (Trisenox®)

Generic Name: Arsenic trioxide Brand Name(s): Trisenox® IUPAC: 2,4,5-trioxa-1,3-diarsabicyclo[1.1.1]pentane FDA Approval: yes Manufacturer Link

Usage: Arsenic trioxide (Trisenox®) was approved by the FDA in 2000 for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

Mechanism: The mechanism of action of the drug is not fully understood. It is believed to cause cell death (apoptosis) in several ways including the destruction of the fusion protein PML/RAR, a major cause of APL. ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾

Side Effects: Common side effects include headache, fatigue, diarrhea, dizziness, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, shortness of breath, swelling. Notify your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding before taking arsenic trioxide.

References for this page:

1. Food and Drug Administration: Consumer Drug Information. (Accessed 10/2008) [http://www.fda.gov/CDER/consumerinfo/druginfo/Trisenox.HTM]
2. Chou WC and Dang CV."Acute promyelocytic leukemia: recent advances in therapy and molecular basis of response to arsenic therapies." 2005 Curr Opin Hematol. 12(1):1-6 [PUBMED]