Oratecan + capecitabine

Oratecan + capecitabine is a combination of two anticancer drugs used in chemotherapy regimens. Capecitabine is an oral prodrug that is converted in the body to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a fluorinated pyrimidine antimetabolite. It interferes with DNA and RNA synthesis by inhibiting thymidylate synthase and incorporating false nucleotides into DNA and RNA, leading to cell death. Capecitabine is primarily indicated for the treatment of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, gastric (stomach) cancer, esophageal cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancers, and pancreatic cancer[2][3][4][5]. Oratecan refers to an oral formulation of irinotecan (a topoisomerase I inhibitor), which prevents DNA from unwinding by stabilizing the cleavable complex between topoisomerase I and DNA during replication. The combination aims to enhance antitumor efficacy through complementary mechanisms—capecitabine targeting nucleotide synthesis and oratecan disrupting DNA topology.

Other names

fluoropyrimidine carbamate5-fluorouracil prodrug