Hydroxyurea, an anti-metabolite for the treatment of Sickle Cell disease

Hydroxyurea is a commonly used anti-cancer drug that is now available from Taj Accura Pharmaceuticals.
Hydroxyurea, an anti-metabolite for the treatment of Sickle Cell disease

What is Hydroxyurea used for?
Hydroxyurea is used in the treatment of various different disorders including:

• Sudden chest pain caused by Sickle Cell Disease (This is a blood disorder which causes the red blood cells to adopt an irregular shape. The patient develops anaemia as well as chest pains on account of the blood cells getting stuck in their blood vessels). [i]
• Chronic myeloid leukaemia (this is a disease of the bone marrow that causes patients to produce excess amounts of white blood cells) [ii]
• Head and neck cancer
• Ovarian cancer (especially when the ovarian cancer has failed to respond to first-line therapy) and
• Polycythemia vera and essential thrombocytosis (rare disorders of the bone marrow). [iii]

How does Hydroxyurea work?
When used for the treatment of cancer, hydroxyurea stops cancer cells from growing by inhibiting a particular enzyme known as RNR. The cancer cells want to make more DNA as they replicate but hydroxyurea destroys the building blocks that the cells need for this. This makes cell division much more difficult so the tumour cells stop growing and start to die off.
When used to treat pain caused by sickle-cell disease, hydroxyurea increases the amount of haemoglobin in the blood. Scientists do not yet fully understand the precise mechanism. [iv]

Are there any side effects associated with the use of Hydroxyurea?
Yes, patients being treated with Hydroxyurea will tend to experience side effects. This is because chemotherapeutic drugs are not able to recognise the difference between tumour cells and healthy cells. The unfortunate consequence of this is that they will kill some of the normal cells.
However, these side effects can be predicted so steps are always taken by the healthcare professionals administering the drug to limit the impact on the patient.
Some of the more common side effects include:

• An increased risk of infection (on account of the drug bringing about a decrease in the patient’s white blood cells, the cells that normally fight off infections)
• Anaemia (as the drug can also reduce the number of red blood cells)
• Nausea, vomiting and/or loss of appetite (there are medicines available now to treat this)
• Mild loss of hair
• Discolouration of the skin and/or the nails.

Patients are advised to contact their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they have any questions regarding treatment with Hydroxyurea.

How is Hydroxyurea taken?
Hydroxyurea tablets are taken orally. It is possible to dissolve them in water.
The doctor calculates the required dose which is different for each patient. The dose depends on the type of cancer, the weight of the patient and how well their liver and kidneys are functioning.
Patients will take regular blood tests during treatment so that their healthcare team can monitor their response to the therapy and ensure their safety.

Conclusion
Hydroxyurea tablets are available from Taj Accura Pharmaceuticals at doses of either 100 mg or 1000 mg. Please visit www.tajaccura.com for further details.
Always remember to consult your Doctor or Healthcare Professional if you have any questions about your own health or medications.
Taj Accura Pharmaceuticals are committed to providing affordable pharmaceutical care solutions to health providers and patients globally. Our enthusiastic and highly skilled bi-lingual sales team in English and French are more than welcome to take your queries. We are contactable by emailing info@tajaccura.com, by phone at+ 353 (1) 293 1882 or alternatively by fax at + 353 (1) 293 1883

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[i] Lanzkron S, Strouse JJ, Wilson R, et al (2008).”Systematic review: Hydroxyurea for the treatment of adults with sickle cell disease”. Ann. Intern. Med. 148 (12): 939–55.
[ii] Dalziel K, Round A., Stein K, Garside R, Price A, (2004). “Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of imatinib for first-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase: A systematic review and economic analysis”. Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) 8 (28): iii, ii1–120.
[iii] Tefferi, A and Barbui T (2015). Polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia: 2015 update on diagnosis, risk‐stratification and management. American Journal of Hematology, 90(2), 162-173.
[iv] Platt OS (2008). “Hydroxyurea for the treatment of sickle cell anemia”. N. Engl. J. Med. 358 (13).