Dosing & Uses
Dosage Forms & Strengths
injectable solution
- 1mg/mL
Acute Leukemia
Combination Therapy
Cancers
- Hodgkin's Disease, Non Hodgkin's Malignant Lymphomas, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Neuroblastoma, and Wilm's Tumor
- Consult guidelines for use in multidrug regimens
Dosage Modifications
Hepatic impairment: Decrease dose by 50% if direct bilirubin >3 mg/dL [51 umol/L]
Renal impairment: Dose adjustment not necessary
Other Indications & Uses
ALL, AML, CML, Hodgkin disease, NHL, neuroblastoma, sarcomas, small cell lung cancer, Wilms' tumor, brain tumors
Off-label: breast cancer, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Kaposi sarcoma, bladder cancer
Interactions
Interaction Checker
No Results

Contraindicated
Serious - Use Alternative
Significant - Monitor Closely
Minor

Adverse Effects
>10%
Alopecia (20-70%)
Frequency Not Defined
Peripheral neuropathy
Paresthesia
Sensory loss
Acute uric acid nephropathy
Loss of deep-tendon reflexes
Hypertension
Hypotension
Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
Paralytic ileus
Myelosuppression
Leukopenia
Gait changes
Jaw pain
Aspermia
Amenorrhea
Warnings
Black Box Warnings
The drug should be administered under the supervision of an experienced cancer chemotherapy physician in a facility equipped to diagnose and manage complications
Properly position needle in the vein before administration; leakage to surrounding tissue during IV administration may cause considerable irritation
If extravasation occurs, the injection should be discontinued immediately and any remaining portion of the dose should then be introduced into another vein
Local injection of hyaluronidase and the application of moderate heat to the area of leakage help disperse the drug and may minimize discomfort and the possibility of cellulitis
Intrathecal use may be fatal
Contraindications
Hypersensitivity
Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome (demyelinating form), intrathecal (IT) administration
Cautions
Bone marrow depression, neuropathy, neuromuscular disease, neurotoxic agents, ototoxic agents, pulmonary disease, hepatic impairment, potential CYP3A4 interactions, avoid extravasation
Withhold if neurotoxicity develops-usually reversible
Potential for jaw/parotid pain, hoarseness and dysphagia due to cranial neuropathy
Vesicant
Avoid pregnancy
Risk of paralytic ileus
Preparation in IV infusion bag only
- On January 15, 2021, FDA alerted that vinca alkaloids should be prepared in IV infusion bags only
- Intrathecal (IT) administration will result in severe neurological injury and/or death
- Label update is to reduce the potential for unintended IT administration
Pregnancy & Lactation
Pregnancy Category: D
Lactation: not known if excreted in breast milk, do not nurse
Pregnancy Categories
A: Generally acceptable. Controlled studies in pregnant women show no evidence of fetal risk.
B: May be acceptable. Either animal studies show no risk but human studies not available or animal studies showed minor risks and human studies done and showed no risk. C: Use with caution if benefits outweigh risks. Animal studies show risk and human studies not available or neither animal nor human studies done. D: Use in LIFE-THREATENING emergencies when no safer drug available. Positive evidence of human fetal risk. X: Do not use in pregnancy. Risks involved outweigh potential benefits. Safer alternatives exist. NA: Information not available.Pharmacology
Mechanism of Action
Vinca alkaloid; acts in M & S phases by inhibiting microtubule formation, inhibits DNA/RNA synthesis
Pharmacokinetics
Half-Life: 10.5-155 hr
Protein Bound: 44%
Vd: 8.4 L/kg
Metabolism: Hepatic (CYP3A4)
Clearance: 146 mL/min
Excretion: Feces (80%); urine (20%)
Administration
IV Incompatibilities
Syringe: furosemide
Y-site: cefepime, furosemide, idarubicin, sodium bicarbonate
IV Compatibilities
Solution: 0.9% NaCl
Additive: Bleomycin, cytarabine, doxorubicin, doxorubicin/ondansetron, fluorouracil, methotrexate
Y-site: Allopurinol, amifostine, ampho B cholSO4, aztreonam, bleomycin, cisplatin, cladribin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, doxorubicin liposomal, droperidol, etoposide PO4, fligrastim, fludarabine, fluorouracil, gatifloxacin, gemcitabine, granisetron, heparin, leucovorin, linezolid, melphalan, methotrexate, metoclopramide, mitomycin, ondansetron, paclitaxel, piperacillin-tazobactam, sargramostim, teniposide, thiotepa, topotecan, vinbastine, vinorelbine
IV Preparation
Prepare in IV infusion bags only
Dilute with infusion bags of 0.9% NaCl for a final concentration of 0.0015-0.08 mg/mL
IV Administration
Vesicant
IV use ONLY; fatal if given intrathecally
Infuse IVPB over 15 min; central line only
Has also been given as slow infusion (4-8 hr) or cont infusion
Extravasation Management
Terminate injection or infusion immediately and aspirate back as much as possible
Apply warm pack for 15-20 min QID and elevate
Storage
Store intact vials under refrigeration at 2-8°C
Images
Patient Handout
Formulary
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