lenalidomide

Lenalidomide is a thalidomide derivative and an immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD) with potent antineoplastic, anti-angiogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is primarily used to treat multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with deletion 5q cytogenetic abnormality, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). Lenalidomide acts by binding to cereblon, a substrate adaptor of the CRL4^CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. This binding alters the substrate specificity of the complex, leading to ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of key transcription factors such as IKZF1 (Ikaros), IKZF3 (Aiolos), and CK1α. The degradation of these proteins disrupts survival signals in malignant cells—especially plasma cells in multiple myeloma—and enhances immune responses by increasing interleukin 2 and interferon gamma production from T cells and NK cells. Developed originally by Celgene, lenalidomide is considered safer but more potent than its predecessor thalidomide[1][6][8].

Brand names

Revlimid

Other names

lenalidomide