clofarabine + daunorubicin

Clofarabine + daunorubicin is a chemotherapy combination used investigationally for acute myeloid leukemia, especially in older adults or in relapsed/refractory settings, sometimes with liposomal daunorubicin or with added cytarabine. Clofarabine is a purine nucleoside antimetabolite that inhibits ribonucleotide reductase and DNA polymerase alpha after intracellular phosphorylation, depleting deoxynucleotide pools, terminating DNA chain elongation, and triggering apoptosis via mitochondrial pathways[5][8]. Daunorubicin is an anthracycline that intercalates DNA, inhibits topoisomerase II, and generates free radicals; in AML it is commonly paired with cytarabine, and trials have compared clofarabine+daunorubicin to standard daunorubicin+cytarabine induction in older patients[10][3]. Phase II data show the clofarabine+daunorubicin combination is feasible with myelosuppression and infectious complications as principal toxicities, achieving complete remissions in a subset of elderly AML patients[2][9]. Pediatric studies have explored clofarabine with liposomal daunorubicin (sometimes also with cytarabine), aiming for improved efficacy with acceptable toxicity[4][7][1].

Other names

clofarabine and daunorubicin