dinutuximab (Unituxin)

Indications

• treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma in combination with GM-CSF, IL-2 & 13-cis retinoic acid

Dosage

• 17.5 mg/m2/day IV infused over 10-20 hours for 4 consecutive days for up to 5 cycles

Injection: 17.5 mg/5 mL (3.5 mg/mL) in a single-use vial

Adverse effects

common >= 25%

• infusion reactions
  • capillary leak syndrome
  • hypotension
• neuropathy
  • severe neuropathic pain -other
• pyrexia, vomiting, diarrhea, urticaria,
• thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, neutropenia anemia,
• hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia
• abnormal liver function tests, hypoalbuminemia,

• drug adverse effects of pharmaceutical monoclonal antibodies

Mechanism of action

• monoclonal antibody
  • binds to glycolipid disialoganglioside GD2 on the surface of neuroblastoma cells
  • induces lysis of GD2-expressing cells through antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity & complement-dependent cytotoxicity

More general terms

• antineoplastic monoclonal antibody