Caelyx Injection

Caelyx (doxorubicin) is a prescription drug manufactured by Fulford. It is also indicated for the treatment of:

• Advanced epithelial ovarian cancer in women who have failed a first-line platinum-based chemotherapy regimen.
• AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) in patients with low CD4 counts (<200 lymphocytes/mm3) and extensive mucocutaneous or visceral disease.

Caelyx may be used as first-line systemic chemotherapy, or as second line chemotherapy in AIDS-KS patients with disease that has progressed with, or in patients intolerant to, prior combination systemic chemotherapy comprising at least two of the following agents: a vinca alkaloid, bleomycin and doxorubicin (or other anthracycline).

Caelyx is also indicated, in combination with bortezomib, for the treatment of progressive multiple myeloma in patients who have received at least one prior therapy and who have already undergone or are unsuitable for bone marrow transplant.

Manufacturer: Fulford

he recommended dose of doxorubicin varies according to the specific condition being treated, the response to therapy, the other medications being used, and body size. Doxorubicin is usually injected into a vein through a specially prepared site on your skin.

Less often, it is administered into the bladder or into an artery. The most common dosing schedule is one dose every 21 days. Some dosing schedules call for smaller doses of the medication to be administered for 3 consecutive days every 4 weeks.

It is important this medication be given exactly as recommended by your doctor. If you miss an appointment to receive doxorubicin, contact your doctor as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment.

Very careful handling of this medication is required. Doxorubicin should only be given by health care professionals familiar with the use of chemotherapy medications used to treat cancer. It is always given under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital or similar setting with access to sterile equipment for preparation.

Doxorubicin should not be used by anyone who:

• is allergic to doxorubicin, any component of the container, or to any ingredients of the medication
• is allergic to other cancer-fighting medications (e.g., epirubicin, daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, mitomycin)
• has a history of severe heart disease
• has already been treated with the maximum allowable lifetime dose of any anthracycline or anthracenedione medications (e.g., daunorubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, or mitoxantrone)
• has low blood cell counts caused by previous treatment with other cancer medications or radiation therapy
• has severe heart disease
• has severe heart rhythm problems
• has severe liver function impairment

In addition, doxorubicin should not be given directly into the bladder if tumours have penetrated the bladder wall, bladder infections are present, or there is inflammation of the bladder.