Drug Summary

  Drug name:  decitabine
  Chemical name:  5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine
  Formula:  C₈H₁₂N₄O_{4  Weight:   228.2053
  CAS no:  2353-33-5
  DrugBank link:  DB01262
  Description:  Decitabine is indicated for treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). It is a chemical analogue of cytidine, a nucleoside present in DNA and RNA. Cells in the presence of Decitabine incorporate it into DNA during replication and RNA during transcription. The incorporation of Decitabine into DNA or RNA inhibits methyltransferase thereby causing demethylation in that sequence. This adversely affects the way that cell regulatory proteins are able to bind to the DNA/RNA substrate.
  Indication:  For treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) including previously treated and untreated, de novo and secondary MDS of all French-American-British subtypes (refractory anemia, refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts, refractory anemia with excess blasts, refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation, and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia) and intermediate-1, intermediate-2, and high-risk International Prognostic Scoring System groups (scores ?0.5).}