Denileukin diftitox (trade name Ontak) was an antineoplastic agent, an engineered protein combining
interleukin-2
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an interleukin, a type of cytokine signaling molecule in the immune system. It is a 15.5–16 kDa protein that regulates the activities of white blood cells (leukocytes, often lymphocytes) that are responsible fo ...
and
diphtheria toxin. Denileukin diftitox could bind to
interleukin-2 receptors and introduce the diphtheria toxin into cells that express those receptors, killing the cells. In some
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
s and
lymphoma
Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enla ...
s, malignant cells express these receptors, so denileukin diftitox can target these.
In 1999, Ontak was approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
(FDA) for treatment of
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).
There is some evidence tying it to vision loss, and in 2006 the FDA added a
black box warning to the drug's label.
In 2014, marketing of Ontak was discontinued in the US.
References
External links
FDA Safety Alert
Antineoplastic drugs
Diphtheria
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