Drug Overview
Treanda (bendamustine; Teva/Mundipharma/Eisai) is an intravenous cytotoxic agent. The exact mechanism of action of the drug is still not fully known, but it is a mechlorethamine derivative which has the ability to cause crosslinking between the DNA strands through covalent bond formation. Several pathways have been associated with the cytotoxic activity of Treanda, including the initiation of a p53-dependent stress response and apoptosis due to the induction of significant DNA strand breaks, the inhibition of mitotic checkpoints in the affected cells, and the induction of mitotic catastrophe.
Analyst Outlook
Treanda (bendamustine; Teva/Mundipharma/Eisai) is indicated in the EU for the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) in combination with prednisone (EMA, 2018; electronic Medicines Compendium, 2018). In the US, the author’s MM primary research survey indicates significant off-label use of Treanda and its rapid-infusion formulation, Bendeka. In Japan, Treanda is also used off-label for the treatment of MM, and The author expects that the potential approval of Bendeka for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) in the first half of 2023 will lead to its off-label use for MM. The generic version of bendamustine’s powdered formulation is expected to erode sales of Treanda, and to some extent Bendeka, in the US from 2019 onwards.
Table of Contents
Companies Mentioned
- Eisai
- Mundipharma
- Teva
