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Porfimer sodium is the drug half of photodynamic therapy: injected, it gathers in tumours, and a laser passed through an endoscope two days later activates it to burn away oesophageal and lung tumours that block the airway or gullet.
Porfimer sodium was the first photodynamic therapy agent approved in the United States, in December 1995, for palliation of obstructing oesophageal cancer, followed by early and obstructing endobronchial non-small cell lung cancer in 1998 and high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus in 2003. Treatment needs an endoscopic laser session about 40 to 50 hours after injection, and patients must avoid bright light for weeks because the drug also sits in skin. It is approved in Canada, Japan and parts of Europe for similar uses. Stent placement and thermal ablation have taken much of its role, but it remains an option where they fail.
A haematoporphyrin derivative that concentrates in tumour tissue; red laser light at 630 nm two days later excites it to generate singlet oxygen that destroys the cells and their blood supply.
1.Porfimer sodium slips into a pocket on its target.
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| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 1995 | Palliation of completely or partially obstructing oesophageal cancer; later endobronchial NSCLC and Barrett's high-grade dysplasia |
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Query for this drug: (TITLE:"Porfimer sodium" OR ABSTRACT:"Porfimer sodium" OR TITLE:"Photofrin" OR ABSTRACT:"Photofrin") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Porfimer sodium, not a curated reading list.
Shares Oesophageal cancer, Cytotoxic chemotherapy, Non-small-cell lung cancer and the tag chembl-universe.
Shares Photodynamic therapy lasers and light sources and the tag chembl-universe.
Shares Cytotoxic chemotherapy, Non-small-cell lung cancer and the tag chembl-universe.
Shares Photodynamic therapy lasers and light sources and the tag chembl-universe.
Shares Cytotoxic chemotherapy and the tag chembl-universe.
Shares Cytotoxic chemotherapy and the tag chembl-universe.
Shares Cytotoxic chemotherapy and the tag chembl-universe.
Shares Cytotoxic chemotherapy and the tag chembl-universe.