Etoposide — uses, dosing, side effects & the brands that sell it · pharmaranks
Etoposide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Etoposide is a topoisomerase inhibitor sold in the U.S. under 4 brand and generic names, for urinary bladder neoplasms, brain neoplasms and lung neoplasms. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
By the pharmaranks editorial team·Reviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sources·How we research
Key facts
Drug class
Topoisomerase Inhibitor
Treats
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms, Brain Neoplasms and Lung Neoplasms
Available as
Injectable · Capsule · Solution
Sold as
4 products — Etopophos Preservative Free, Avopef and Etoposide, and others
From the FDA label for Etopophos Preservative Free (application NDA020906). Other etoposide products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Refractory testicular tumors: 50 to 100 mg/m 2 per day administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours on days 1 through 5, or 100 mg/m 2 administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours on days 1, 3, and 5. ( 2.1 ) Small cell lung cancer: 35 mg/m 2 per day administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours for 4 days or 50 mg/m 2 per day administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours for 5 days. ( 2.2 ) Do not give by bolus injection. ( 2.4 ) Renal impairment: Reduce the recommended dose to 75% in patients with creatinine clearance 15 to 50 mL/min. ( 2.3 ) 2.1 Refractory Testicular Tumors The recommended dose of ETOPOPHOS is: 50 to 100 mg/m 2 per day administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours on days 1 through 5 of each 21-day (or 28-day cycle), or 100 mg/m 2 administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours on days 1, 3, and 5 of each 21-day (or 28-day cycle). 2.2 Small Cell Lung Cancer The recommended dose of ETOPOPHOS is: • 35 mg/m 2 per day administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours for 4 days, or • 50 mg/m 2 per day administered intravenously over 5 minutes to 3.5 hours for 5 days. 2.3 Dosage Modification In patients with a creatinine clearance (CLcr) 15-50 mL/min, administer 75% of the recommended dose. Data are not available in patients with CLcr less than 15 mL/min. Consider further dose reduction in these…
Etoposide side effects
The following serious adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Secondary leukemias [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Hypersensitivity reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Most common adverse reaction is neutropenia. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact the Safety Call Center at 1-866-885-0690 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates, observed in the clinical trials of a drug, cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. ETOPOPHOS has been used as a single agent in clinical studies involving 206 patients with a variety of malignancies (including one non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and in combination with cisplatin in 60 patients with small cell lung cancer. The most common adverse reaction was neutropenia. Other Important Adverse Reactions Gastrointestinal Toxicity Nausea and vomiting are the major gastrointestinal toxicities. The severity of nausea and vomiting is generally mild to moderate, with treatment discontinuation required in 1% of patients. Nausea and vomiting are managed with standard antiemetic therapy. Other Toxicities Other clinically important adverse…
Every etoposide product we track (4)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Etoposide pill imprints
Imprint
Strength
Colour
Shape
Maker
V3545
50 mg
pink
capsule
—
V3545
50 mg
pink
capsule
—
Frequently asked questions
What is etoposide?
ETOPOPHOS (etoposide phosphate) is a topoisomerase inhibitor. The chemical name for etoposide phosphate is: 4'-Demethylepipodophyllotoxin 9-[4,6-O-(R)-ethylidene-β-D-glucopyranoside], 4' (dihydrogen phosphate). Etoposide phosphate has the following structure: Etoposide phosphate is a phosphate ester of etoposide, a semi-synthetic derivative of podophyllotoxin. ETOPOPHOS is available for intravenous infusion as a sterile lyophilized powder in single-dose vials for reconstitution containing 114 mg etoposide phosphate, equivalent to 100 mg etoposide, 32.7 mg sodium citrate USP, and 300 mg dextran 40. Image Etoposide Phosphate Chemical Structure
What kind of drug is etoposide?
The FDA classifies etoposide as a topoisomerase inhibitor. Topoisomerase inhibitors target enzymes that cells rely on to cut and rejoin their DNA during cell division. By trapping these enzymes after they cut the DNA but before they can reseal it, the drugs leave the DNA broken, which halts cell division and kills rapidly dividing cancer cells. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take etoposide with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run etoposide against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is etoposide sold under?
We track 4 etoposide-containing products in the U.S.: Etopophos Preservative Free, Avopef, Etoposide and Vepesid. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does etoposide come in?
Across the brands we track, etoposide is currently marketed as injectable, capsule and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Who shouldn’t take etoposide
ETOPOPHOS is contraindicated in patients with a history of a severe hypersensitivity reaction to etoposide products [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] . Hypersensitivity to etoposide products. ( 4 , 5.3 )
Etoposide drug interactions
Warfarin: Co-administration of ETOPOPHOS with warfarin can result in elevated international normalized ratio (INR). Measure INR frequently. Warfarin: Co-administration can result in elevated international normalized ratio (INR). Measure INR frequently. ( 7 )
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic etoposide product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.