ifosfamide

Ifosfamide is a synthetic oxazaphosphorine alkylating agent and immunosuppressive small molecule used primarily in chemotherapy. It is structurally related to cyclophosphamide and acts as a prodrug that requires metabolic activation by hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes. Once activated, its cytotoxic metabolites (notably isophosphoramide mustard) alkylate DNA at the N-7 position of guanine residues, leading to inter- and intra-strand DNA crosslinks that inhibit DNA replication and protein synthesis, ultimately causing cell death. Ifosfamide’s main indications include testicular cancer (especially after failure of other treatments), but it is also used off-label or in combination regimens for ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, sarcomas (soft tissue and bone), lymphoma (including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), and small cell lung cancer[1][2][3][4][5][6]. The drug was originally developed by Asta-Werke AG.

Brand names

Ifex

Other names

isophosphamideiphosphamide