Classification

1. Classification of anticancer
drugs
Lecture by Farah Javaid
Assistant professor
Pharm.D
M.Phil (Pharmacology)
Ph.D (Scholar)

2. Classification type a:
Cell specific and nonspecific anticancer drugs

6. b) Classification of anticancer drugs (main
classification)

7. 1) ALKYLATING AGENTS
• Acronym used to memorize it is (NEAT-N)
• (1) the nitrogen mustards (Mechlorethamine, cyclophosphamide, ifosphamide,
melphalan, chlorambucil)
• (2) the ethyleneimines, (thiotepa)
• (3) the alkyl sulfonates, (busulfan)
• (4) the triazenes. (dacarbazine, temozolomide)
• (5) the nitrosoureas, (carmustine, Streptozocin )
• The methylhydrazine and platinum complexes also are included here, even though
they do not formally alkylate DNA and use a different means to form covalent
adducts with DNA.

8. 2) Antimetabolites
Class of analog Name of drugs
1. Folic acid analog i) Methotrexate
2. Pyrimidine analog
• (cytosine & thymine in case of DNA )
• (Cytosine & uracil in case of RNA)
i) 5-FU
ii) Floxuridine
iii) Capecitabine
iv) Cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside)
v) Gemcitabine
3. Purine analog
• (adenine & guanine)
i) 6-MP
ii) 6-Thioguanine
iii) Cladribine
iv) Fludarabine

9. 3) Antibiotics
• A) Anthracycline Antibiotics (CCND)(class of drugs used in cancer chemotherapy
derived from Streptomyces bacterium)
• Dactinomycin (actinomycin D)
• Daunorubicin (daunomycin, rubidomycin)
• Doxorubicin
• Idarubicin
• Mitoxantrone
• Epirubicin
• B) Anthraquinone, also called anthracenedione or dioxoanthracene (CCD)
(quinone derivative of anthracene and the parent substance of a large class of dyes )
• Bleomycin
,

10. 4) Natural & Semi-synthetic products of
Plants
• A) VINCA ALKALOIDS
• Vincristine
• Vinblastine
• B) TAXANES
• Paclitaxel
• Docetaxel
• C) EPIPODOPHYLLOTOXINS
• Etoposide
• D) CAMPTOTHECIN ANALOGUES
• Topotecan
• Irinotecan
Microtubule
inhibitors(natural
products)
Topoisomerase
inhibitors
(semi-synthetic
products)

11. 5) Steroidal hormones and their antagonists
Classes of hormones Examples of drugs
1) Glucocorticoids Prednisolone
2) Selective estrogen receptor modulators
(SERM)
Tamoxifen
3) Aromatase inhibitors Aminoglutethimide
Anastrozole & Letrozole
Exemestane
4) Progestins Hydroxyprogesterone acetate
Megestreol
5) GnRH analogues Leuprolide
Goserelin
6) Estrogens Ethinyl estradiol or Diethylstilbestrol
7) Synthetic Nonsteroidal Antiandrogen Flutamide,
Nilutamide

12. 6) Monoclonal antibodies
• Currently, several monoclonal antibodies are available in the United
States for the treatment of cancer.
• Examples of monoclonal antibodies:
1. Trastuzumab,
2. rituximab,
3. bevacizumab, and
4. cetuximab.

13. 7) Platinum coordination complexes:
1. Cisplatin ,
2. carboplatin,
3. Oxaliplatin

14. 8) Tyrosine kinase inhibitor
• i) Imatinib
• ii) Gefitinib

15. 9) Miscellaneous
• i) Procarbazine
• ii)L-Asparaginase
• iii) interferons

16. Good luck 