Pegaspargase
Pegaspargase, sold under the trade name Oncaspar, is a medication used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Often it is used together with anthracycline, vincristine, and prednisone. It is used by injection.
Common side effects include allergic reactions, blood clotting problems, high blood sugar, liver problems, pancreas inflammation, and blood clots in the brain. Its use during pregnancy may harm the baby. It is a modified version of the enzyme asparaginase which has undergone PEGylation. It works by breaking down asparagine, decreasing its availability to make protein.
Pegaspargase was approved for medical use in the United States in 1994. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. It is made by Sigma-Tau. In the United States it costs about $US17,800 per 3750 units vial.
