Antineoplastic agents, available on pharmaceutical market of the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

Introduction: Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. One group of such drugs is antineoplastic agents, which consists of 5 subgroups: alkylating agents, antimetabolites, plant alkaloids and other natural products, cytotoxic antibiotics and related substances, other antineoplastic agents. Purpose and Objectives: Evaluation of the arsenal of chemotherapeutical drugs used for treatment of different types of the cancer in Republic of Moldova. Materials and methods: Analysis of the State List of RM drugs and recommendations of the WHO; statistical data processing. Results: According to the international classification ATC, the Collaborating Centre for Statistical Methodology WHO recorded on 28/03/2014, in the L01 (antineoplastic agents) group, there are 158 single INN and 2 drug combinations. Currently on pharmaceutical market of RM there are 229 names of antineoplastic agents, including 55 INN, which makes 34, 37% of those recorded by WHO. Alkylating agents (L01A), which can be found on pharmaceutical market of RM makes up 5,6% of all the remedies recommended by WHO, antimetabolites (L01B )- 5,6%, plant alkaloids and other natural products (L01C) - 3,75%, cytotoxic antibiotics and related substances (L01D) - 3,57%, other antineoplastic agents (L01X) - 15,62%. At the moment, there are 19 products, which are produced in RM, of which 11 INN; the rest are being imported. There are also 93 drugs from L01 group, which are authorized by European Medicines Agency, from which only 21 are as well authorized in RM. In 18th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (April 2013) in section “Cytotoxic and adjuvant medicines” in Complementary List there are mentioned 25 drugs, but in Ministry of Health Order no. 144 of 28.02.2011” there are also added 21 drugs. Conclusions: It was estimated that there will be 1,660,290 new cases of all cancer sites and an estimated 580,350 people will die of this disease, in 2013. Thus, the elaboration of new anticancer drugs, which will have smaller cytotoxity parameters, better activity and bioavailability is one of the main goals for the contemporary medicine and pharmacy. The other goal for the RM is to provide the population with the wide range of contemporary chemotherapeutical agents.