Plerixafor is a small-molecule inhibitor of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) that acts as a hematopoietic stem cell mobilizer.[A7117,L45678] It is used to stimulate the release of stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma to stimulate their immune system. These stem cells are then collected and used in autologous stem cell transplantation to replace blood-forming cells destroyed by chemotherapy.[A7118,L45678] As an inhibitor of CXCR4, plerixafor blocks the binding of its ligand, stromal cell-derived factor-1-alpha (SDF-1α). Since CXCR4 and SDF-1α are involved in the trafficking and homing of CD34+ cells to the marrow compartment, blocking this interaction leads to an increase in CD34+ cell circulating levels.[A7117] Compared to placebo with G-CSF, the plerixafor and G-CSF mobilization regimen has a higher probability of achieving the optimal CD34+ cell target for tandem transplantation in fewer apheresis procedures.[A7115] Plerixafor has orphan drug status in the United States and European Union and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on December 15, 2008.[A7117,L45678]
Plerixafor is indicated in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to the peripheral blood for collection and subsequent autologous transplantation in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or multiple myeloma.[L45678]
Drug Info/Drug Targets: DrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugs. Knox C, Law V, Jewison
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