benspermine

Benspermine is a **synthetic polyamine analogue** also known as **N1,N11-diethylnorspermine** and commonly abbreviated **DENSPM/DENSpm**. It has been investigated as an **antineoplastic small molecule** that disrupts intracellular polyamine homeostasis, in part by inducing polyamine catabolism and modulating key enzymes in the pathway such as spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase, ornithine decarboxylase, and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. Public sources document clinical development in cancer including phase I studies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer and a phase 1/2 study in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma sponsored by Sanofi; the hepatocellular carcinoma study was terminated after insufficient evidence of clinical benefit. The program appears to have remained investigational and was not approved.

Other names

benspermineN1,N11-diethylnorsperminediethylnorspermineDENSpmN1,N11-bisethylnorspermine