flotetuzumab

Indications

• acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

Dosage

• 500 ng/kg/day by continuous infusion over 7 days for each cycle (max)

Adverse effects

• infusion-related reactions
• cytokine release syndrome
  • tocilizumab (Acterma) successful at decreasing severity & incidence of cytokine release syndrome
• pancytopenia

• drug adverse effects of pharmaceutical monoclonal antibodies

Mechanism of action

• dual-affinity re-targeting, or DART, molecule aimed at CD123, the alpha subunit of the IL-3 receptor expressed on a majority of myeloid blast cells & leukemic stem cells*

* CD123 is also expressed on monocytes, B cells, megakaryocytes, & plasmacytoid dendritic cells, & in smaller amounts on normal hematopoietic stem cells & hematopoietic progenitors

* CD123 has been detected >90% of blasts in patients with AML

More general terms

• antineoplastic monoclonal antibody