Here is the detailed information for:
💊 Lenalidomide Capsule 5 mg
📘 Description
Lenalidomide is an oral immunomodulatory and anti-neoplastic agent. It is a derivative of thalidomide with enhanced potency and reduced side effects. It is used primarily for the treatment of blood cancers.
🌿 Nature / Drug Class
- Nature: Immunomodulatory agent
- Drug Class: Immunomodulator / Anti-neoplastic
- Related to thalidomide, but more potent and better tolerated
🎯 Purpose / Indications
- Multiple Myeloma (especially in combination with dexamethasone)
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) with 5q deletion
- Mantle Cell Lymphoma
- Follicular Lymphoma (off-label)
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (some subtypes)
✅ Advantages
- Oral route (capsule) — convenient for long-term therapy
- Improved efficacy over older agents like thalidomide
- Slows disease progression and improves survival in multiple myeloma
- Fewer neurological side effects compared to thalidomide
- Can modulate immune system, inhibit angiogenesis, and target cancer cell growth
📦 Common Packaging
- Blister packs or HDPE bottles
- Usually packed in capsules of 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, or 25 mg
- Typically comes in a strip of 7 or 21 capsules, depending on regimen
⚠️ Patient Advice / Precautions
- Pregnancy Category X: Highly teratogenic. Absolutely contraindicated in pregnancy. Use strict birth control.
- Frequent blood monitoring is required (CBC with differential)
- Can cause neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia
- Risk of venous thromboembolism; may require anticoagulant prophylaxis
- Monitor for signs of infection, fatigue, rash, or neuropathy
- Not recommended in patients with severe renal impairment without dose adjustment
- Prescribing and dispensing are strictly regulated under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program in many countries