azacitidine + cytarabine

Azacitidine + cytarabine is a combination of two antineoplastic agents used primarily in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially in patients who are older or unfit for intensive chemotherapy. Azacitidine is a DNA hypomethylating agent that incorporates into DNA and RNA, leading to hypomethylation and direct cytotoxicity to abnormal hematopoietic cells. Cytarabine is an antimetabolite that inhibits DNA synthesis by acting as a cytosine nucleoside analog, resulting in cell death during the S-phase of the cell cycle. This combination exploits complementary mechanisms—epigenetic modulation by azacitidine and inhibition of DNA replication by cytarabine—to enhance anti-leukemic efficacy[1][5]. The regimen has been studied both alone and as part of multi-drug protocols for AML.