Amifostine (WR 2721)

Amifostine is an organic thiophosphate cytoprotective agent known chemically as "2-[(3-aminopropyl)amino]ethanethiol dihydrogen phosphate" (ester) and has the following structural formula:
H2N(CH2)3NH(CH2)2S-PO3H2
Amifostine is a white crystalline powder which is freely soluble in water. Its empirical formula is C5H15N2O3PS and it has a molecular weight of 214.22.

Category:

• Antineoplastic adjunct
• cytoprotective agent

This medication is used to:

• protect the kidneys against the harmful effects of the cancer-fighting drug cisplatin in patients with ovarian cancer or lung cancerreduce the severe dry mouth caused by radiation treatment after surgery for head and neck cancer.
• Amifostine is in a class of drugs known as chemoprotectants; it protects against the harmful effects of cisplatin and radiation treatment.
• This drug may also be used for prevention of lung damage caused by the use of paclitaxel.
• Amifostine may be effective in relieving numbness, tingling, and other symptoms of peripheral neuropathy

side effects:

• nausea
• vomiting
• flushing (feeling of warmth)
• chills ( feeling of coldness)
• fever
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• drowsiness
• sneezing
• hiccups

Rare side effects:

• shortness of breath
• fainting
• seizures
• chest tightness
• skin rash
• hives
• swelling of the throat

Drug interactions:

• Amantadine (e.g., Symmetrel) or
• Antidepressants (medicine for depression) or
• Antihypertensives (medicine for high blood pressure) or
• Antipsychotics (medicine for mental illness) or
• Beta-adrenergic blocking agents used in the eye, such as betaxolol (e.g., Betoptic), carteolol (e.g., Ocupress), levobunolol (e.g., Betagan), metipranolol (e.g., OptiPranolol), and timolol (e.g., Timoptic), or
• Bromocriptine (e.g., Parlodel) or
• Deferoxamine (e.g., Desferal) or
• Diuretics (water pills) or
• Levodopa (e.g., Dopar) or
• Medicine for heart disease or
• Nabilone (e.g., Cesamet) (with high doses) or
• Narcotic pain medicine or
• Nimodipine (e.g., Nimotop) or
• Pentamidine (e.g., Pentam) or
• Pimozide (e.g., Orap) or
• Promethazine (e.g., Phenergan) or
• Trimeprazine (e.g., Temaril)