Is lenalidomide a derivative of thalidomide?

Lenalidomide, a derivative of thalidomide, has powerful clinical activity in del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and multiple myeloma (MM), but the mechanism of drug activity was previously unknown.

How does lenalidomide and thalidomide function in the body?

Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as lenalidomide, thalidomide and dexamethasone, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading.

What is the mechanism of action of lenalidomide?

Lenalidomide acts by directly inducing tyrosine phosphorylation of CD28 on T cells leading to activation of downstream targets such as PI3K, GRB-2-OS, and NF-κb, thus partially overcoming CTLA4 Ig blockade and leading to T cell clonal proliferation.

What are the side effects of lenalidomide?

The most common side effects of REVLIMID include:

• diarrhea.
• rash.
• nausea.
• constipation.
• tiredness or weakness.
• fever.
• itching.

How long has lenalidomide been on the market?

Lenalidomide was approved by the FDA on 27 December 2005 for patients with low- or intermediate-1-risk myelodysplastic syndromes who have chromosome 5q deletion syndrome (5q- syndrome) with or without additional cytogenetic abnormalities.

How long can you take lenalidomide?

The median duration of lenalidomide maintenance was 21 months, with 25% of patients receiving <11 months of maintenance and 25% with treatment longer than 31 months. The treatment had been discontinued in 64.7% (n = 90) of the patients when the analysis was performed.

Does lenalidomide cause hair loss?

No, Revlimid does not cause hair loss. In clinical studies of people taking Revlimid, hair loss wasn’t reported as a side effect. If you take other drugs for cancer treatment with Revlimid, it’s possible that some of them could cause hair loss. If you’re concerned about hair loss, talk with your doctor.