ProductDescription
7-Ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin(SN-38)istheactivemetaboliteofirinotecan(ananalogofcamptothecin–atopoisomeraseIinhibitor);itis1000timesmoreactivethanirinotecanitself.InvitrocytotoxicityassaysshowthatthepotencyofSN-38relativetoirinotecanvariesfrom2-to2000-fold.SN38ismetabolizedviaglucoronidationbyUGT1A1.ThevariantofUGT1A1in~10%ofCaucasianswhichleadstopoormetabolizationofirinotecanpredictsirinotecantoxicity,asitcannotbeexcretedfromthebodyinitsSN-38form.SN-38islostintothebileandfeces.Itcancausethesymptomsofdiarrhoeaandmyelosuppressionexperiencedby~25%ofthepatientsadmiNISTeredirinotecan.