Hydroxycarbamide

Hydroxycarbamide
Clinical data
Trade names	Droxia, Hydrea, Siklos, others
Other names	Hydroxyurea (USAN US)
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
MedlinePlus	a682004
License data	US DailyMed: Hydroxyurea;
Pregnancy; category	AU: D; ;
Routes of; administration	By mouth
ATC code	L01XX05 (WHO) ;
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only); CA: ℞-only; UK: POM (Prescription only); US: WARNINGRx-only; EU: Rx-only; In general: ℞ (Prescription only);
Pharmacokinetic data
Metabolism	Liver (to CO2 and urea)
Elimination half-life	2–4 hours
Excretion	Kidney and lungs
Identifiers
	IUPAC name Hydroxyurea;
CAS Number	127-07-1 ;
PubChem CID	3657;
IUPHAR/BPS	6822;
DrugBank	DB01005 ;
ChemSpider	3530 ;
UNII	X6Q56QN5QC;
KEGG	D00341 ;
ChEBI	CHEBI:44423 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL467 ;
NIAID ChemDB	006310;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID6025438 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.004.384
Chemical and physical data
Formula	CH4N2O2
Molar mass	76.055 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
Melting point	133 to 136 °C (271 to 277 °F)
	SMILES O=C(N)NO;
	InChI InChI=1S/CH4N2O2/c2-1(4)3-5/h5H,(H3,2,3,4) ; Key:VSNHCAURESNICA-UHFFFAOYSA-N ;
	(verify)

Hydroxycarbamide, also known as hydroxyurea, is a medication used in sickle-cell disease, essential thrombocythemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, polycythemia vera, and cervical cancer.^[4]^[5] In sickle-cell disease it increases fetal hemoglobin and decreases the number of attacks.^[4] It is taken by mouth.^[4]

Common side effects include bone marrow suppression, fevers, loss of appetite, psychiatric problems, shortness of breath, and headaches.^[4]^[5] There is also concern that it increases the risk of later cancers.^[4] Use during pregnancy is typically harmful to the fetus.^[4] Hydroxycarbamide is in the antineoplastic family of medications. It is believed to work by blocking the making of DNA.^[4]

Hydroxycarbamide was approved for medical use in the United States in 1967.^[4] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.^[6] Hydroxycarbamide is available as a generic medication.^[4]

^ "FDA-sourced list of all drugs with black box warnings (Use Download Full Results and View Query links.)". nctr-crs.fda.gov. FDA. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
^ "Xromi- hydroxyurea solution". DailyMed. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
^ "Siklos EPAR". European Medicines Agency. 9 July 2003. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Hydroxyurea". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Hydrea 500 mg Hard Capsules – Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) – (eMC)". www.medicines.org.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.