Pemetrexed

Chemical formula: C₂₀H₂₁N₅O₆  Molecular mass: 427.411 g/mol  PubChem compound: 446556

Active ingredient description

Pemetrexed is a folate analog metabolic inhibitor that exerts its action by disrupting folate-dependent metabolic processes essential for cell replication. In vitro studies have shown that pemetrexed inhibits thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT) and and to a lesser extent aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (AICARFT), which are folate-dependent enzymes involved in the de novo biosynthesis of thymidine and purine nucleotides. Pemetrexed is taken into cells by membrane carriers such as the reduced folate carrier and membrane folate binding protein transport systems. Once in the cell, pemetrexed is converted to polyglutamate forms by the enzyme folylpolyglutamate synthetase. The polyglutamate forms are retained in cells and are inhibitors of TS and GARFT. Polyglutamation is a time- and concentration-dependent process that occurs in tumor cells and, is thought to occur to a lesser extent, in normal tissues. Polyglutamated metabolites are thought to have an increased intracellular half-life resulting in prolonged drug action in malignant cells.

Medicine classification

This medicinal substance has been classified in the anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification according to its main therapeutic use as follows:

ATC code Group title Classification
L01BA04 Pemetrexed L Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents → L01 Antineoplastic agents → L01B Antimetabolites → L01BA Folic acid analogues
Discover more medicines within L01BA04

Product monographs

Competent medicine agencies globally have authorized commercialization of this active ingredient according to these medication package inserts (MPIs):

Title Information Source Document Type  
ARMISARTE Concentrate for solution for infusion European Medicines Agency (EU) MPI, EU: SmPC

Structural formula

Graphic representation of the active ingredient's molecular structure

External identifiers

CAS Substance: 137281-23-3
DrugBank Drug: DB00642
KEGG Drug: D07472
PubChem Compound: 446556
RxNorm Ingredient: 68446
SNOMED-CT Concept: 409159000
Pemetrexed (substance)
UNII Identifier: 04Q9AIZ7NO
PEMETREXED

Medicines

Pemetrexed is an active ingredient of these brands:

United States (US)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Australia (AU)

Austria (AT)

Brazil (BR)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • ATRED as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • EROXYM as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • MESOTEM as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEMIPENTAHYDRATE
  • PEMEGLENN as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • PEMTRYX as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEMIPENTAHYDRATE
  • PLEXEDEN as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • SUKHI as PEMETREXED DISODIUM

Canada (CA)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Croatia (HR)

Cyprus (CY)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Ecuador (EC)

Estonia (EE)

Finland (FI)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

France (FR)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • ARMISARTE as PEMETREXED DISODIUM

Hong Kong (HK)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • PEMEDA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • PEMIREX as PEMETREXED DISODIUM

Ireland (IE)

Israel (IL)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Japan (JP)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Lithuania (LT)

Mexico (MX)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Netherlands (NL)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

New Zealand (NZ)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Poland (PL)

Romania (RO)

Singapore (SG)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • PEMCORD as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEMIPENTAHYDRATE
  • PEMEX as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEMIPENTAHYDRATE
  • PEXITAZ as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • PODOXRED as Pemetrexed disodium (amorphous)

South Africa (ZA)

  • ALILOMA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • TEREXTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM

Spain (ES)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • ARMISARTE as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • MINTAYAX as PEMETREXED TROMETHAMINE ANHYDROUS

Tunisia (TN)

Turkey (TR)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE
  • MEZOTEX as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • PEMETU as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEMIPENTAHYDRATE
  • PEMTREX as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • PREXET as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • RELITREXED as PEMETREXED DISODIUM
  • WELM as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEMIPENTAHYDRATE

United Kingdom (UK)

  • ALIMTA as PEMETREXED DISODIUM HEPTAHYDRATE

Note the following: The list of brand names is continuously updated, and thus does not include the total of products circulating worldwide.

© All content on this website, including data entry, data processing, decision support tools, "RxReasoner" logo and graphics, is the intellectual property of RxReasoner and is protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of any part of this content without explicit written permission from RxReasoner is strictly prohibited. Any third-party content used on this site is acknowledged and utilized under fair use principles.