• Epirubicin is an anthracycline drug used for cancer chemotherapy.
• Epirubicin-containing regimens are better than those containing cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) for treatment of early breast cancer. \"Polychemotherapy for early breast cancer: an overview of the randomised trials. Early Breast Cancer Trialists Collaborative Group.\" Lancet 352: 930-942 (1998).
• The mechanisms of antitumor activity of anthracyclines may include 1) inhibition synthesis of macromolecules by intercalation into DNA; 2) DNA damage or lipid peroxidation by generation of free radicals; 3) DNA cross-linking; 4) DNA binding and alkylation; 5) interference with DNA unwinding, DNA strand separation, and helicase activity; 6) membrane effects; and 7) initiation of DNA damage by inhibition of topoisomerase II, and thus induction of apoptosis. Minotti, G., et al. \"Anthracyclines: molecular advances and pharmacologic developments in antitumor activity and cardiotoxicity.\" Pharmacol. Rev. 56: 185-229 (2004).
• Several clinical trials have demonstrated that epirubicin-containing regimens at equimolar doses achieved equivalent objective response rates and overall median survival as doxorubicin-containing regimens in the treatment of advanced and early breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer and nonresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Plosker, G.L. and Faulds, D. \"Epirubicin. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic use in cancer chemotherapy.\" Drugs 45: 788-856 (1993).
• Epirubicin and doxorubicin are two major anthracyclines. At equimolar doses, these two anthracyclines showed similar response rates. The major side effects of anthracyclines are cardiotoxicity and myelosuppression. Epirubicin, having less toxicity at similar doses, represents an alternative to doxorubicin for breast cancer treatment. Kaklamani, V.G. and Gradishar, W.J. \"Epirubicin versus doxorubicin: which is the anthracycline of choice for the treatment of breast cancer?\" Clin. Breast Cancer 4: S26-S33 (2003).
• Epirubicin is the active ingredient in the drug product sold under the trade name Ellence® and the other trade names listed above under \"Related Terms\". This drug is currently approved in at least one country for use in patients with breast cancer, and is used for treatment of various other cancers. NOTE: THE EPIRUBICIN, HYDROCHLORIDE SALT RESEARCH COMPOUND SOLD BY LC LABORATORIES IS NOT ELLENCE® NOR ANY OTHER DRUG PRODUCT SPECIFIED BY THE TRADE NAMES LISTED ABOVE UNDER \"RELATED TERMS\", AND IS NOT FOR HUMAN USE.
• NOTE: the trade names listed above under \"Related Terms\" are for epirubicin-containing drug products and they may apply variously to one or another form of epirubicin, such as the free base, hydrochloride salt or other salt form.
• This epirubicin product is the hydrochloride salt, whose CAS number is given above. The CAS number of the free base is 56420-45-2.
• Sold for laboratory or manufacturing purposes only; not for human, veterinary, food, or household use.
• This product is offered for R&D use in accordance with (i) 35 USC 271(e)+A13(1) in the U.S.; (ii) Section 69.1 of Japanese Patent Law in Japan; (iii) Section 11, No. 2 of the German Patent Act of 1981 in Germany; (iv) Section 60, Paragraph 5b of the U.K. Patents Act of 1977 in the U.K.; (v) Sections 55.2(1) and 55.2(6) and other common law exemptions of Canadian patent law; (vi) Section 68B of the Patents Act of 1953 in New Zealand together with the amendment of same by the Statutes Amendment Bill of 2002; (vii) such related legislation and/or case law as may be or become applicable in the aforementioned countries; and (viii) such similar laws and rules as may apply in various other countries.
• Not available in some countries; not available to some institutions; not available for some uses.

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