Nipent (Pentostatin) for Leukemia

Overview
Nipent is a prescription medication approved by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hairy cell leukemia in people with active disease. This drug is indicated in individuals with new hairy cell leukemia as well as hairy cell leukemia unsuccessfully treated with alpha-interferon. Nipent may also be referred to by its drug name, pentostatin.

Nipent is an anticancer drug. Nipent is a member of a class of drugs called antimetabolites. Nipent is believed to work by interfering with DNA synthesis in replicating cells.

How do I take it?
Nipent is administered by intravenous injection or infusion every other week.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Nipent lists common side effects including headache, fever, fatigue, cough, cold and flu symptoms, trouble breathing, rash, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, low blood cell counts, and mouth sores.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Nipent include kidney damage, liver damage, severe rash, worsening infection, fetal harm in pregnant women, and potentially fatal low blood pressure and pulmonary edema (swelling in the lungs).

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Nipent — RxList
https://www.rxlist.com/nipent-drug.htm