Hydroxyurea
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| Trade names | Droxia, Hydrea, others |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | International Drug Names |
| MedlinePlus | a682004 |
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| Routes of administration |
by mouth |
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| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Metabolism | liver (to CO2 and urea) |
| Biological half-life | 2-4 hours |
| Excretion | Renal and lungs |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.004.384 |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | CH4N2O2 |
| Molar mass | 76.0547 g/mol |
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Hydroxycarbamide, also known as hydroxyurea, is a medication used in sickle-cell disease, chronic myelogenous leukemia, cervical cancer, and polycythemia vera. In sickle-cell disease it decreases the number of attacks. It is taken by mouth.
Common side effects include bone marrow suppression, fevers, loss of appetite, psychiatric problems, shortness of breath, and headaches. There is also concerns that it increases the risk of later cancers. Use during pregnancy is typically harmful to the baby. Hydroxycarbamide is in the antineoplastic family of medications. It is believed to work by blocking the making of DNA.
Hydroxycarbamide was approved for medical use in the United States in 1967. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. Hydroxycarbamide is available as a generic medication. The wholesale cost in the developing world is about 0.35 to 0.47 USD per day. In the United States it costs less than 25 USD a month.
Hydroxycarbamide is used for the following indications:
Reported side-effects are: drowsiness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, constipation, mucositis, anorexia, stomatitis, bone marrow toxicity (dose-limiting toxicity; may take 7–21 days to recover after the drug has been discontinued), alopecia (hair loss), skin changes, abnormal liver enzymes, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen.
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