[Introduction of a new anticancer drug, novantrone]

Abstract

Novantrone (mitoxantrone) is a novel anticancer drug, having an anthraquinone structure. This compound was selected from many candidate compounds for purpose to find out a drug having lesser cardiac toxicity than doxorubicin and excellent antitumor activities. In the Japanese clinical trials, Novantrone was proved to be active against breast cancer, malignant lymphoma and acute leukemia. Major side effects observed in the clinical trials were: GI-tract toxicities, and mild alopecia, mild disturbance in the circulatory organs, fever and dermatological toxicities.